


Realistic

by F1_rabbit



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-15 08:25:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8049253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: Jo's sick of people making fun of him for being a virgin, so he decides to just do it. With a sexbot.





	1. 01100110 01101111 01101110 01100100

**Author's Note:**

  * For [writtenfripperies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtenfripperies/gifts).



"I've got a date tonight," Marcus said, a robot serving them both coffee as Marcus waited for Jo to say something.

Felipe wandered past, a cruel grin on his face as he stopped behind Jo. "You're asking the wrong guy for advice." Felipe laughed, shoving Jo as though he was in on the joke, rather than the butt of it.

Jo rolled his eyes, and Marcus scowled at Felipe, which at least got him to leave, although it wouldn't be the last of it. They were both up for the same promotion, the fight to see who would be team leader, and it had started to get out of hand. Jo was just glad that he didn't work in the same department as them anymore.

"Just ignore him," Marcus said, but Jo was blushing, and he knew that was what Felipe had wanted. To embarrass him.

Jo had never understood why other people cared if he was a virgin or not, it was no-one's business but his own, although it hadn't stopped it gnawing away at him recently, wondering if he should just get it over with.

He managed to get through the rest of the day with only a few sniggers from his colleagues, but on the walk home an advertising robot malfunctioned, spewing flyers all over him, just to make sure that his humiliation for the day was complete.

When he finally got home he saw that one of the flyers had caught in his rucksack, an ad for sexbots, and Jo screwed it up, tossing it in the bin as his cheeks burned. The universe was being a dick today.

*

Jo ate his dinner alone, wondering how Marcus' date was going, although the fact that he hadn't heard from him yet suggested that it had gone well. He felt a little jealous, not of whoever Marcus was dating, Jo hadn't met her, but of the idea of having someone to date. It wasn't about the sex, although that seemed to be the elephant in the room.

_Maybe I should just get it all over with. Get it out the way and then I can focus on a relationship, something long term._

Jo put his fork down, wandering over to the bin where he'd tossed away the flyer, and he smoothed it out, typing the number into his phone before deciding what he should put in the message.

_Are you free tonight?_

Does 9 p.m. work for you?

_Sure._

See you then sexy xxx

Jo laughed at the message, he wasn't sure what he was expecting from a sexbot, usually he saw them hanging around street corners, waiting for people to take them home, but then he got a text with an address.

Classy part of town _,_ Jo thought, and with that he was grabbing his coat and heading out into the cool evening air, glad that the stifling heat of the last few days had finally subsided.

*

There was a knocker on the door and Jo felt his stomach churn as the knocks echoed around him. He considered going home, but then the door opened.

A short, blond sexbot stared up at him, their big blue eyes perfectly framed by the eyelashes that they were batting at him.

"I'm sorry, I think I should go." Jo's cheeks were burning, and yet he felt guilty for wasting the sexbot's time.

"It's okay." The sexbot reached out to take Jo's hand, and it felt strangely comforting. "At least stay for a cup of tea."

Jo followed them into the flat, wondering why he was doing this, but the thought of going home to an empty flat made this the lesser of evils.

It was a small but spacious studio apartment, and Jo noticed that there were paints and paint brushes scattered around, as well as an easel with a cloth draped over it. The place looked like a human lived there, perfectly staged to reassure clients no doubt.

"I'm Kevin." His voice was soft and breathless, perfectly programmed to be both gentle and sexy at the same time. He gestured to the sofa, and Jo took a seat.

"Jo. Jolyon, but my friends call me Jo." He was glad that Kevin wasn't looking at him, it would have made it worse.

Kevin made the tea, pausing only to ask Jo how he took it, and by the time he sat down next to Jo on the sofa, he had managed to get rid of the blush on his cheeks.

They sat in silence, both sipping at their tea, but it wasn't awkward. It was nice just to have the company.

"You look so human." Jo reached out to touch Kevin's wrist, stroking the soft downy hairs as Kevin giggled, twitching as though he was ticklish.

"That's the aim." Kevin winked at him and Jo blushed again, sipping at his tea to hide his embarrassment.

"Can I see your circuitry?" Jo was trying to see if there was any sign that he wasn't human, but he looked like an ordinary guy. If it wasn't for the fact that Kevin had told him he was a robot, he would never have known.

"No, it's sealed away under all this synthetic skin." Kevin pinched himself, a red mark welling up where his fingers had nipped the skin, but Jo still looked confused. "Ever seen Terminator? It's kinda like that, only I'm not here to save Sarah Connor." Kevin laughed at his own joke and Jo felt at ease, although he saw many robots in his day to day life, he'd never had a conversation with one.

"Sorry, just curious." Jo slid back in his seat, giving Kevin some room, he didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. Although, was he even programmed to feel that?

"It's okay." Kevin smiled, and Jo shook his head, not sure what to say. "So what brought you here this evening?"

Jo took a deep breath, the blush returning to his cheeks, and he figured who better to tell his problems to than a sexbot. "Some of my colleagues keep teasing me about being a virgin, and I thought if I just got it over with I could stop worrying about it and actually find a date. So, here I am."

Kevin reached out to hold his hand, and he looked into Jo's eyes. "You know there's no rush, when it's right you'll know it, and the other person won't care if you have experience or not. All that will matter is that they want to share the experience with you."

Jo nodded his head, there wasn't much to say to that. Kevin was right, and he'd been so hung up on the idea of having sex, getting it over with, that he had failed to realise that the other person mattered more.

Kevin's phone buzzed and he raised his eyebrows at whatever the message was. Jo knew that it was time to go, that he'd taken up enough of Kevin's time, and he got out his wallet, but Kevin waggled his finger at him.

"I'm not taking your money." Kevin watched as he put his wallet away, smile on his face. "Tea and a chat isn't something I charge for." He let out a little laugh and Jo nodded, heading towards the door.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Kevin gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Jo smiled, finally feeling at ease with himself again. "Good night, Jo."

"Good night, Kevin."

The door shut behind him, and he walked home with a smile on his face. Jo slept better than he had in months, and he was glad that he had managed to put all of his worries behind him.

***

There were still the jokes in the office, but Jo didn't care anymore, he just told people that he was waiting for the right person, and most of them seemed to accept that.

"Have you signed up yet?" Marcus had been trying to convince him to sign up with the dating app for bisexuals that he used, but Jo wasn't sure it was for him. The idea of trying to make small talk with a stranger had his palms feeling sweaty, and it had put him off even filling in the registration form.

He wanted someone who was easy to talk to, easy to be around, and he was happy waiting until he found them.

"No, not yet." Jo fidgeted with his phone, he knew Marcus meant well but he just wanted to drop the subject.

"You should try it, what's the worst that could happen?" Marcus shrugged as a robot came round to pour the coffee, and Jo thanked them, as Marcus gave him a funny look.

"I'll think about it," Jo said, glancing at his watch, glad that he had a meeting soon, so that he could escape the conversation.

*

The meeting had been in a stuffy room with no air conditioning as the temperatures outside were over thirty degrees. He'd got out to find that his car had turned into an oven on wheels, and by the time that he got home sweat was pouring out of him.

Jo left his clothes in a pile, not caring about the mess, and headed straight for the shower, turning it on to its coldest setting as he stepped in. The cool water was blissful against his warm skin and he groaned out loud, letting the water wash away the worries of the day, clearing his mind and calming his restless soul.

His cock was standing to attention, it was his usual routine, save him having to clean up the mess. He wrapped his ice-cold hand around his cock, stroking away, his free hand resting on the cool tiles as he felt his muscles spasm. All he could think of was the soft accent that had made him feel at ease, made him feel comfortable, and he imagined that it was Kevin's soft hands stroking him, praising him with his breathless voice that could make anything sound filthy.

His forehead was resting against the shower wall as a spectacular orgasm washed over him, his knees were weak and the moans of pleasure were muffled by the water splashing over him. Warm come spilled over his hand, he couldn't remember the last time he felt that good, and he knew that with Kevin it would feel even better.

Jo avoided looking at his reflection as he got out of the shower, he should be ashamed of himself, and yet it had felt so good.

***

Friday took its time coming around. Jo felt exhausted by the week and the heat wasn't helping at all. He'd gone out for drinks after work, but Marcus had been asking him about the dating app, so he'd made excuses and left.

Which meant that he was now sitting alone, wondering what to do with his evening, and if it would just be easier to sign up for the app to get Marcus to stop bothering him about it.

But he didn't want to meet anyone new. He wanted the one person that had been on his mind all week.

He wanted Kevin.

*

Jo had tried to put off texting Kevin for as long as possible, but in the end he sent him a message, not sure when, or if, he'd get a response.

_Are you free tonight? Jo x_

Not until 1 a.m.

_I'll see you then x_

I can't wait xxx

*

Jo was glad that it was cooler this evening, there was the smell of ozone in the air, a thunderstorm was due. He wondered what he should wear, before smiling to himself when he realised that whatever he wore was probably going to end up on the floor by the end of the night.

In the end he picked things that were easy to take off, a checked shirt and a pair of jeans that weren't skinny jeans. He admired his reflection and he stepped out into the cool evening air, the rumble of thunder in the distance, and he was glad that he was driving.

The rain came on as he arrived at Kevin's place, and he scurried into the hallway as the skies opened, the sound of the water falling calming him.

He held his breath as he knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer, and when he saw that smile he felt his heart race.

"Hi," Jo said, not sure what else to say, surely Kevin knew why he was here.

"Hi." Kevin stood back and Jo wandered in, staring at Kevin with anticipation. "Do you want to talk?"

Jo shook his head, his lips compressed as Kevin held out his hand, leading him to the bed. He slipped his shoes off as he sat at the end of the bed, Kevin sitting next to him, resting his hand on his knee.

"I'll be gentle with you," Kevin whispered, and Jo let out a little gasp, his warm breath arousing as Kevin kissed at his earlobe.

His chapped lips felt rough against his own, but it felt so real, one of the many things that made him seem more human, like the mole on his nostril. There was no reason for it, and yet there it was, perfect in its imperfection.

Jo deepened the kiss, and Kevin ran his fingers through his hair, resting his hand on the back of his head as his tongue teased at his lips, a hint of chocolate that sent a rush through his body. Kevin was unbuttoning his shirt as they kissed, clumsily fumbling with some of them and it put Jo at ease, reassured him that he wasn't the only one who was nervous.

He followed Kevin's lead, shuffling along the bed until he was lying out, Kevin next to him and he went in for another kiss, more frantic this time as Kevin straddled him, his soft skin brushing against his hairy chest as the crackle of static sent shivers down his spine.

Kevin threw off his t-shirt, revealing a large tattoo, an angel with their wings stretched wide, spanning his shoulders, and Jo gasped, reaching out to trail his fingers over the dark inked lines, fascinated by how intricate it was and how vividly it stood out on Kevin's pale skin. Jo sat up so that he could kiss along the tattoo, his arms wrapped around Kevin as he sucked on his nipples, his moans echoing around the flat, reassuring Jo that he was doing the right thing.

He slowly lay back on the bed, Kevin moving with him so that their lips met. Kevin's lips felt like heaven pressed against his own, and Jo arched his hips, seeking out more as Kevin broke the kiss, nuzzling at the side of his face as Jo caught his breath, trailing his hands down the curve of Kevin's spine, goose bumps appearing as the rain crashed against the window, a flash of lighting casting a brief shadow on the wall of their bodies tangled together.

Kevin kissed his way down Jo's chest, his big blue eyes staring up at him as he licked and nipped, making sure every inch of skin was worshipped as he made his way down to the waistband of his jeans. Jo held his breath as Kevin's fingers teased at the button, and Kevin stroked his abs.

"Breathe," he said, moving his hands up and down in time with Jo's deep breaths, and Jo felt all the apprehension fade away, replaced by sheer need.

Jo reached out for Kevin, and he crawled up, nipping at Jo's lips as his hands unzipped his jeans, sliding inside so that he could feel at the bulge in Jo's jeans, smiling as Jo let out a low moan.

"Hard already? Have you been waiting for this?" Kevin's breathless voice had Jo biting his lip, he had never wanted anything as much as he wanted Kevin right now.

Jo ran his fingers through Kevin's hair, still soft even though it was perfectly sculpted, and Kevin looked up at him, grinning as he slinked off the edge of the bed, so graceful and effortless. Kevin inched his jeans down, making sure that Jo was watching as he revealed more and more of his soft pale skin, waiting until Jo was biting his lip in anticipation before sliding down his boxers, letting his cock spring free.

It wasn't as intimidating as Jo imagined, average in size, although he was sure that Kevin would know exactly what to do with it to have him screaming in pleasure. Kevin helped Jo wriggle out of his jeans, he wasn't as graceful as Kevin, but the smile never left his face, and Kevin's grin when he saw the size of his cock stroked his ego.

Jo reached down to stroke his cock, but Kevin batted his hand away. "Impatient, aren't we?" Kevin's grin got wider, and Jo was sure that his face would split if it got any bigger. He crawled back on to the bed so that he was straddling Jo, pausing only to kiss each nipple, his bright blue eyes staring at him the whole time, making sure that he was enjoying it.

Kevin positioned himself so that their cocks were touching as he went in for another kiss, backing off every time that Jo tried to deepen the kiss, licking at his lips as he reached down to wrap his hand around their cocks.

Jo groaned out loud, it was a rush having someone else's hand stroking him, the feeling of Kevin's warm cock pressed against his own, pre-come leaking and slicking them up. He reached up to hold onto Kevin's shoulders, digging his fingernails in as he felt his balls tighten, the warmth spreading as his muscles twitched. His toes curled and he knew that he was close.

"Oh god, I'm going to come." Jo gasped, and Kevin muffled his moans with his mouth, his thumb playing with the tip as Jo shuddered in orgasm, Kevin's cock twitching against his and prolonging the feeling of bliss.

Jo lay gasping and breathless, his eyes shut so that he could focus only on the feeling of adrenaline surging through his veins, every touch of Kevin's soft skin against his own felt like another climax and he ended up limp in Kevin's arms.

"Feel good?" Even though Jo couldn't see him he could hear the cheeky grin, and he hoped that he had an equally large grin on his face.

"So good." Jo forced his eyes open, and Kevin's beautiful eyes were looking back at him. "Thank you."

Kevin kissed him on the cheek, and held him while his body relaxed. He seemed to know that after such a spectacular orgasm all Jo needed was a hug.

Jo stretched and yawned, and Kevin gave him a little bit of space, moving so that he was no longer draped over him. The way that Kevin stroked his chest hair made him feel calm but he knew that his time must be up soon.

"I should be going," Jo said, and Kevin nodded, wandering off to get a cloth to clean Jo up. He felt a little sad to be leaving Kevin, but he knew that he would remember this night for the rest of his life, and that was exactly what he needed.

Jo left the money on the bedside table, handing it over to Kevin made it seem untoward, and he wanted to remember the night just the way it was.

He pulled on his clothes as Kevin watched, dragging his eyes over him. Jo could have sworn that he saw a hint of sadness cross his face, but he was sure that he was just projecting it on to him.

"Thank you," Jo said, leaning in for one last kiss.

"Anytime." Kevin winked at him, hanging around at the door until Jo had left the building, and Jo drove home with the biggest grin on his face, the taste of Kevin still on his lips as he ran his tongue over them.

_That is one hell of a way to lose your virginity._


	2. 01101100 01110101 01110011 01110100

Marcus was sitting on the sofa in Jo's flat, watching over him as he scrolled through his phone, looking at potential dates.

"What about her?" Marcus took Jo's phone and he had to wrestle it back out of Marcus' hand. "She's cute."

Jo scanned the profile, she was attractive, long brown hair and glasses. "She likes cats," Jo said, before swiping to the next profile. He didn't care either way about cats, but he just wasn't interested in her.

"What about him?" Marcus pointed at the screen. "He's gorgeous."

Marcus wasn't wrong, he was clearly an attractive guy, a nice smile and a swathe of thick dark hair, his t-shirt stretched nicely over his muscles. But he didn't set Jo's heart racing. Same for all the people that he'd looked at so far, none of them were quite right.

"Not sure he's my type." Jo said, his finger poised to swipe to the next profile.

"Wait!" Marcus grabbed Jo's wrist to stop him moving off that page. "If you're not interested then…"

"What happened to the woman that you were seeing?" Jo had heard Marcus mention her a few times, but he couldn't remember the last time that he talked about her, and Jo hadn't really asked about it.

"Didn't work out." Marcus shrugged, and Jo didn't know what to say to that. If Marcus didn't seem upset about it, then there was nothing for him to really say.

Marcus had clearly seen the frown lines on Jo's face, and he nudged him, rousing him from his thoughts.

"It's okay, some people just aren't meant to be together." Marcus smiled, and Jo felt a little better. "I'll know when I meet the one."

The pizza arrived and saved them from any more awkward conversations, chatting about work, films, and sport was much easier.

Jo hadn't told Marcus about the fact that he'd gone to see Kevin to 'get it over with' and he wasn't sure that he'd ever tell him, or anyone else. It wasn't something that he needed to advertise, and he definitely wasn't the sort of guy to brag about his conquests, although it had given him a nice confidence boost.

"You'll meet someone who makes your heart race, and you'll know that you're in love," Marcus said, finishing the last of his beer.

"I will," Jo said, giving him a hug goodbye. He was glad for the time he got with Marcus, as he was sure the guy with the thick, dark hair was going to be getting a lot of his attention for the foreseeable future.

***

Marcus was busy with his new boyfriend, and Jo was sitting around, playing computer games, but no matter which game he picked, his mind wasn't in it.

He made himself another cup of tea, hoping it would focus him, or make him sleepy. Maybe an early night was what he needed, but his mind had other ideas.

Jo sat down in front of the tv, mug in hand as he flicked through the channels, hoping something would catch his eye but nothing did, and then he saw an advert. He had no idea what it was for, although at this time in the evening they were mostly teleshopping commercials, but the model looked like Kevin, and he found himself wondering how bad it could be if he went back for more.

He sent Kevin a message, and got an answer straight away telling him to come round for eleven. Jo had a grin on his face, and he felt excited at the thought of being with Kevin again. It was nice to be with someone who had no expectations, it was liberating, and he needed that right now.

Jo didn't even bother changing out of his jogging bottoms, they weren't going to be on for long, and Kevin looked at him like he was the most handsome man in the world no matter what he was wearing. After seeing all the effort, and money, that Marcus put into dating, Jo was sure that he'd found an easier way, one that worked for him.

*

The door was ajar when Jo arrived, and he opened the door slowly, his heart racing as he heard the shower running. His mind filled with the thought of Kevin all wet and naked, covered in soap, and his cock twitched.

_Kevin wouldn't have left the door open if he didn't want me join him?_

He closed the door behind him and stripped off, leaving his clothes in a pile on the floor, before wandering through to the small bathroom, where Kevin was showering, and he went in to join him.

The warm water felt like heaven on his skin, and he dragged his eyes over all of Kevin's wet, soapy skin. Kevin didn't look surprised to see him, in fact he was the first person who had looked happy to see him all day.

"You left the door open and…" Jo leant in for a kiss, a hint of toothpaste on his lips, and Jo let his hands wander down Kevin's back, feeling his muscles ripple as his chest heaved, his breathless moans muffled by the water.

"My last client must have left the door open," Kevin said, and Jo blushed, but Kevin knew what to do to put him at ease. "But since you're here, it would be a shame to waste this." Reaching down to stroke at Jo's hard cock, his cheeky grin shone out, and Kevin sank to his knees, the water pushing his hair over his face as his big blue eyes stared up at him.

Kevin placed a gentle kiss to the tip, teasing him with his tongue as the water splashed over him. Jo let his head fall back, Kevin's big strong hands holding his hips tight and keeping him upright as his warm mouth surrounded him. He reached down to stroke at his hair, rubbing little circles into Kevin's scalp as he worked away, his moist lips adding to the rush and Jo came quickly, gagging Kevin as he swallowed it all down.

"Fuck, that felt amazing." Jo felt the aftershocks with every drop of water that ran down his body, prolonging his orgasm as Kevin reached out for his hand, intertwining their fingers as he stroked the side of his hand with his thumb.

Kevin stood up and licked his lips, sticking his tongue out as Jo leant in to suck on it, tasting himself as his tongue dipped into Kevin's mouth, it was such a rush and Jo felt blissful.

"Do you want to move this to the bed?" Kevin asked, batting his eyelashes at Jo, and Jo nodded, unable to string together a sentence that wasn't just 'yes' over and over again.

Kevin switched the shower off, slicking his hair back off his face as he stepped out to hand Jo a towel. Jo patted his face dry, clearing the water from his eyes, and when he opened them, he saw Kevin putting on a show, his leg resting on the edge of the bath as he dried off his nicely toned legs, showing off his hard cock that was standing proud.

He held out his hand and Jo took it, following Kevin to the bed before lying out on it. Kevin's smile never left his face, stroking Jo with feather soft touches as he waited for him to get hard again.

Jo was playing with Kevin's hair and it was dry already, back in its perfectly sculpted look, and all he'd done was run his fingers through it. "How do you do that?"

Kevin laughed, running his fingers through Jo's wet hair, it would be a while before his thick, dark curls dried, even in this heat. "It's designed that way, synthetic hair, so we can change it without having to dye it, or cut it."

Jo kept playing with Kevin's hair, unable to believe that it wasn't real hair, it felt so real, so human. "So does it work for all your hair?" Jo asked, stroking at Kevin's chin.

"You like a guy with stubble?" Kevin smiled, focusing for a moment as his beard started to grow right in front of Jo's eyes. "This work for you?" Kevin rubbed his stubble over Jo's cheek, his breath warm on his neck and Jo let out a little whimper. It felt so good against his skin, and he turned his head so that their lips met, the scratch of his stubble like little electric shocks and it had his cock twitching all over again, pressing against Kevin's thigh.

Kevin let out a growl, rolling them over so that he was straddling Jo, his cheeky grin shining out and Jo traced the lines of his tattoo, but he was deep in thought. "Can you change your tattoos?" Jo asked, his hard cock still pressed against Kevin, but his fascination was overriding his arousal.

"Yes. Do you not like it?" The tattoo started to fade, the ink swirling as it disappeared and Jo's mouth fell open, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"I love the tattoo," Jo said, his fingers dancing over Kevin's skin as it reappeared. He smiled at Kevin, and it was nice to see how happy the tattoo made him. Jo hadn't expected that, it made it all seem so real.

"I like it too, it makes me feel unique." Kevin grinned, holding Jo's hand as he rested it over his heart. Jo let his hand slide around to the back of Kevin's neck, pulling him down into a kiss as he felt Kevin hover over his hard cock, the warmth of his hole pressing against the tip of his cock and he reached out to stroke Kevin's hip with his free hand, guiding him down as Jo moaned out loud.

Kevin felt so silky and warm around him, and Jo stared into his eyes as he bottomed out inside him, Kevin groaning as though he was struggling to take him, biting his lip as he sank down on to the final inch, pressing their bodies together as he gasped for air.

"You feel so good inside me." Kevin's breathless voice had Jo trembling, and he let out the breath that he was holding, relaxing under Kevin's touch as he kissed at his lips, sloppy kisses that gave them both time to adjust.

Kevin clenched around him and Jo let out a low moan, even though he knew that Kevin wasn't human, he couldn't tell the difference, he was real to him.

Jo rocked his hips, shallow thrusts at first, and Kevin looked beautiful with his head thrown back, his muscles twitching as the sweat rolled down his chest, glinting in the light and making his angel look like they were flapping their wings.

"Faster?" Jo asked, and Kevin nodded, gripping on to Jo as he picked up the pace, the sound of skin slapping against skin was so loud that it drowned out Kevin's moans, their sweaty bodies sliding over each other as the smell of sex filled the room.

Jo wrapped his arms around Kevin, pressing his cock against his stomach, it was trailing pre-come and Jo felt the familiar warmth, his muscles tense as he prepared for his climax.

"I'm going to come," Jo moaned, clinging on to Kevin as he shuddered, filling Kevin up with his come as he felt Kevin clench around him, come spurting on to his stomach as his pornographic moans got to such volume that Jo felt his ears ringing.

He was dizzy with adrenaline, Kevin limp in his arms with the biggest grin on his face. Jo had never seen anyone look so content, and yet he knew that he looked the same. He felt truly relaxed, his body sated, and he snuggled into Kevin, holding him tight while his breathing returned to normal.

"You're amazing," Jo whispered. He felt like he could tell Kevin anything and it would be fine, it couldn't have been the first time that someone had told Kevin how wonderful he was.

"So are you," Kevin whispered back, his soft voice was perfect for whispering sweet nothings and Jo felt a blush creeping on to his cheeks.

It all felt so nice, wrapped up in Kevin's warmth, but Jo knew that his time was up. "I should be going," Jo said, it was easier than hearing Kevin tell him that his time was up, allow him to pretend that it wasn't just a simple exchange of money for services.

Kevin groaned, it was nice of Kevin to act like he would miss him, and Jo sat up slowly, still fuzzy from it all. He pulled on his clothes, slipping back into his shoes as he left the money on the bedside table while Kevin threw on a dressing gown.

Jo wandered towards the door, not sure what to say, but Kevin gave him a hug and took all of the awkwardness away.

Kevin smiled at Jo, releasing him from the hug as he gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Same time next week?"

"I'll see you then." Jo gave Kevin a goodbye kiss before wandering out into the cool evening air.

His job was well paid, and he didn't really drink, or have many luxuries in his life, so what was a hundred euros? He knew people who spent that every Friday night in the pub without batting an eyelid. That was their treat for a long hard week of work. And Kevin was going to be his treat.

***

A week had felt like such a long time, and it had been a stressful week at work. They'd got a new contract and it was a mess, but Jo didn't have to worry about that any longer, because he was finished, and he had something to look forward to. Kevin.

He spent Saturday tidying the flat, he'd barely had a chance with all the late nights over the last week. It felt good to be able to but everything in order, and it cleared his mind of all his worries. He wanted to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy everything that Kevin had to offer.

Jo even found out some of his nicer clothes, he knew that they wouldn't be on for long, but just wearing them made him feel better, more confident. He even spent time doing his hair, although it would never be in the same league as Kevin's perfect hair.

By the time he got in the car to drive over, he felt like he was on top of the world, and he was sure that he would feel even better when he saw Kevin.

*

Jo knocked on the door, as fun as it was to play in the shower last time, he didn't want to come in unannounced. There was the sound of footsteps and Kevin opened the door, his stubble glinting in the light as he pulled the dressing gown tight around himself.

"Hi, I missed you," Kevin said, taking Jo's hand and leading him into the flat. He let the dressing gown fall to the floor the second that the door was closed and he smiled when he saw that Jo had made an effort for him. "You look very handsome tonight."

"Thank you." Jo blushed, slipping his shoes off as he edged closer to the bed.

"Those clothes are going to look great on the floor." Kevin stuck his tongue out, and Jo pulled him into a messy kiss, all the longing compressed into one frantic gesture. For the first time this week, he felt calm and he knew what he wanted from Kevin.

"Fuck me?" Jo asked, fluttering his eyelashes at Kevin, his lips compressed as he held his breath, hoping that Kevin would do something.

"Undress for me," Kevin said, dragging his eyes over Jo as he waited for him to comply with his instructions. Jo took his time, partially because he wanted to put on a show for Kevin, even though he knew it didn't matter to him, but mostly so that he could focus on not letting his nervousness show.

The clothes were a heap on the floor, and Jo looked up at Kevin, all his embarrassment gone when he saw that Kevin was naked too. He felt comfortable with it all, there was something about Kevin that made him feel at ease, and he waited for his next order, cock standing to attention as though it was saluting Kevin.

"Get on your hands and knees," Kevin said, and Jo slowly got on to the bed, crawling along it as he made sure his arse was held up high, putting himself on display.

Jo buried his head in the pillow, his arms resting against the headboard as the familiar scent of Kevin surrounded him and he felt the bed dip. Kevin's warm breath ghosted over his skin, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Comfy?" Kevin asked, and Jo murmured into the pillow, his body waiting for the first touch. "I'm going to make you feel so good."

Kevin didn't disappoint, his warm, wet tongue was circling his hole and he groaned out loud, writhing on the bed as Kevin's tongue teased him. His toes curled as he willed Kevin deeper, his frustration building with every lick of his tongue. He felt tears well up in his eyes as Kevin's fingers ran around the edge of his hole, holding him open so that he could slide his tongue in deeper, hitting that spot as he gasped into the pillow, biting down on it to muffle his moans.

Jo felt Kevin's finger dip inside him as his tongue slid out, working him open as he kissed at his back, his soft lips like velvet on his skin. Kevin slid another finger in, leaving Jo gasping as he adjusted to it, squirming on the bed as he begged for more.

"I'm ready." Jo's voice was muffled but Kevin understood, withdrawing his fingers as Jo braced himself, but Kevin wasn't lining up with him.

"Roll over for me," Kevin said, and Jo felt his cock twitch, the thought of being able to see Kevin as he fucked him had him scrambling to lie on his back, his legs spread wide as he left space for him.

Kevin dragged his eyes over him, licking his lips as he knelt by him, getting into position as he stared into his eyes, smiling as he lined up with his slick hole.

"You look so beautiful," Kevin said, his angelic grin shining out, and Jo didn't care that it was an act, because to him, in the heat of the moment, it was all that he needed.

Kevin thrust in, and Jo cried out as he tensed around the tip, his face scrunched up as he bit his lip.

"Too much?" Kevin asked, stroking the side of Jo's face as he waited for him to open his eyes.

"No." Jo took a deep breath, and he felt his body adjust. The stretch felt so arousing, the slight edge of pain balanced out by the pleasure of having Kevin inside him, nudging at that spot and sending sparks flying through his body.

Jo wrapped his legs around Kevin's waist, he never failed to be amazed by how warm Kevin's skin felt, how soft it was, and even the tiniest details, like how the hairs stood up on end as he shivered. He felt Kevin's hand stroking at the side of his face, bringing him back to reality as he bottomed out, leaving Jo gasping as their bodies pressed together.

Kevin seemed to know exactly what Jo wanted, how fast to go, when to speed up and slow down to leave him on the edge. Jo left him in control, clearing his mind so that he could enjoy every second, gasping and whimpering as he got closer to his climax.

His cock was smearing pre-come over his abs, and Kevin reached down to play with it, teasing the tip with his thumb as he slammed back into Jo, his back arching with the force of it, scrunching his eyes shut as he felt Kevin shudder inside him, filling him up with come as his talented fingers gripped at his cock, pushing him over the edge, come spurting out of him as he lay limp on the bed, breathless and smiling.

Kevin leant in for a kiss, holding him tight as he whispered sweet nothings, and Jo knew that was what he wanted, what he needed. Uncomplicated, no strings attached, sex.

"Do you want a shower?" Kevin asked, rolling off Jo so that he could breathe more easily without Kevin crushing him.

Jo nodded, Kevin guiding him up as he led him to the shower, helping him get washed up as he dragged Jo into a messy kiss, his fingers trailing over his hole as he played with the come leaking out of him. He felt nicely worn, and the satisfaction of sex that good wasn't going to leave him for a while.

Kevin started to wash his hair, and Jo went to get dressed, leaving the money on the bedside table as always, and he said goodnight to Kevin as he was brushing his teeth, the taste of mint not strong enough to mask the sweet hint that his lips always had.

"I'll see you next week," Jo said, smile on his face as he went in for one last kiss.

Kevin smiled, giving Jo a wink as he wandered out the door. "I'll be waiting for you."


	3. 01101000 01101111 01110000 01100101

Marcus wandered up to Jo's desk, glancing around as he approached. "Come and get a coffee with me?"

Jo glanced at the time, half eleven, it was too early to be taking a break, but Marcus looked worried, and he could just stay late to make the time up. "Sure."

They wandered down to the café, but they changed their mind about getting a coffee when they saw one of the robots malfunctioning, throwing coffee everywhere as Dany the robotic technician, or robotech as he was known, tried to shut the bot down.

Dany's ironically robotic voice was repeating command codes, but none of them seemed to be working, and in the end he got out his Taser, electrocuting the bot until it was on the ground, twitching with the shocks.

Even though Dany was so tall and lanky, he managed to pick the bot up, hauling its limp body over his shoulder as he scurried off back to the basement where his workshop was, leaving the cleaning bots to clear the mess that their friend had made.

"Do you want to just get an early lunch?" Marcus asked, and Jo knew he should say no, but after all the jarring realisation of seeing a robot malfunction, he wasn't sure he'd get much done in the next hour anyway.

"Lead the way."

Jo followed Marcus to a little coffee shop, the sort that had mismatched furniture and home made cakes, and he found out why Marcus had wanted to speak to him so urgently.

"I broke up with Roberto." Marcus looked a little sad about it, which was unusual, normally he was a positive guy.

"What happened?" Jo asked, reaching out to hold Marcus' hand, and he saw a little smile.

"He had to move back to Spain, and he wanted a long distance relationship, but it's just not for me." Marcus was the sort of guy who liked having people around, and that was even more true when it came to the people he dated. "It's a pity, because we got on really well, but I don't want to promise him something that I can't offer."

Jo pulled Marcus into a big hug, holding him tight as he got the whole story, and when Marcus was done he looked much happier.

"Tonight there's a speed dating thing, I thought we could go together," Marcus said, smiling as he looked at Jo with his best puppy eyes.

"Actually," Jo said, taking a deep breath as he wondered what he was going to say, but in the end the truth won, "I'm seeing someone already."

"Really? That's great, did you meet them through the app?" Marcus asked, sipping at his coffee before continuing, "I told you that you'd meet someone."

At least Marcus doing all the talking saved him from having to lie, he told him a lot of vague things about Kevin, including the fact that he was an artist, which was probably a lie, although he did have art supplies dotted around his flat.

"So, when can I meet him?" Marcus asked, and Jo felt his blood run cold, he hadn't thought that far ahead.

"It's still early days, I'll let you know when it gets serious." Jo nudged Marcus, laughing in the hope that it would cover his blushing.

_I wonder if Kevin would pretend to be my boyfriend? Just a few hours would be enough to convince Marcus._

*

Jo was sitting around his flat, eating toast, and wondering if it would make things strange if he asked Kevin to be his boyfriend. In the end, he decided to text him, that way he wouldn't ruin his evening when he saw him on Saturday.

_Would you do me a favour? Pretend to be my boyfriend for an evening?_

I don't do that. Sorry x

_I'd pay?_

It's not about the money, I like to keep things simple, and lying is never simple.

_Sorry, didn't mean to make it awkward._

It's not awkward, I can recommend a service if you're looking for a date x

_No, you're probably right, lying is too complicated x_

Will I see you Saturday?

_Yes xxx_

See you then sexy xxx

***

Saturday took its time coming around, Jo still felt strange after asking Kevin to be his boyfriend, well, pretend to be his boyfriend.

Kevin was waiting for him at the door with a smile on his face, and that smile wiped away all his worries. Jo didn't have to say a word to know that he was forgiven and that it was all forgotten about. Although maybe Kevin had a way of wiping out those sort of memories, which would be useful.

He couldn't believe that he'd known Kevin for nearly six months, it was by far his longest romantic relationship that he'd ever had, and he wasn't sure what that said about him. But it worked for him, and that was all that mattered. He could have been picking up random people each week on dating apps, but at least this way he got continuity.

And he doubted that he would get sex this good from anyone that he would meet on a dating app.

Kevin had him pinned against the wall, his soft lips felt like heaven against his own as the scratch of his stubble sent sparks of pleasure through his body. He gasped when Kevin reached down to rub at the bulge in his jeans, and Jo frantically starting undressing Kevin, throwing his jumper off as he hurried to get out of his jeans.

Jo dragged Kevin back into a messy kiss, his tongue not caring which bit of Kevin it made contact with, licking at his sweet lips as he backed Kevin against the table, it looked sturdy enough to support him, and Jo lifted him up onto it, never breaking the kiss as he balanced Kevin so that his arse was hanging over the edge of the table.

Kevin lay back, spreading his legs wide so that Jo could tease the soft fur around his hole, thrusting two fingers in as he played with his prostate, eliciting the most pornographic moans from him, and Jo knew that he was going to feel amazing wrapped around him.

Jo smiled as he took in the sight of Kevin lying out beneath him, all open and waiting, his angel fluttering their wings as his chest heaved in anticipation. He thrust in, feeling Kevin clench around him as he bottomed out, so warm and silky, and over the last few months he'd learned exactly what angle had Kevin gasping and begging for more.

Kevin's smile as he adjusted was the most beautiful sight, and Jo reached out to stroke the side of his face, looking at him with love and affection as he let his fingers trail down Kevin's body, playing with his nipples on the way, until his hands were holding his hips tight.

Jo pulled back, leaving just the tip in before thrusting back in, repeating this over and over again as Kevin cried out in pleasure, his hips bucking as he begged for more. Sweat was dripping down both their bodies, the frantic pace was unrelenting and Jo could already feel his muscles tensing, he was on the edge, and from the look of Kevin, mouth slack and eyes scrunched shut, so was he.

"I'm close," Kevin said, his breathless voice perfect for giving orders, and Jo reached down to stroke his cock, gripping it tight as he thrust in time, wanting them to come together.

Jo felt Kevin clench around him, milking every last drop of come out of him as his moans filled the flat, come flying out over his chest as Jo held his trembling legs, kissing at his perfect calves as he lay limp on the table, catching his breath.

"You're gorgeous," Jo said, sliding out of Kevin as he gasped, before ducking down so that he could lick his come back out of him, enjoying every twitch and moan as he slid his tongue inside him, his muscles fluttering around him.

Jo held his cheeks open so that his tongue could squirm its way in deeper, Kevin's toes curled as he came for a second time, his oversensitive body crying out for release.

"Fuck, you're amazing." Kevin sat up slowly, Jo's head resting against his thigh as he nipped at his soft skin, licking the red marks. Jo stood up, nestling between Kevin's legs as he went in for a sloppy kiss, letting Kevin taste him, and he greedily licked at his mouth, seeking out every last drop.

Kevin wrapped his arms around Jo's shoulders, waiting for Jo to lift him up and carry him to bed, tangling their bodies together as Jo looked around at the clock.

"You're my last client, so you can stay until morning if you want," Kevin said, resting his forehead against Jo's but Jo wasn't sure his bank account could manage that.

"I should be going." Jo pulled back slightly, torn between staying and going, and Kevin seemed to sense his hesitation, he was a natural at reading people, it was what made him good at his job.

"No extra charge, think of it as a reward for being a loyal customer," Kevin said with a grin, pulling Jo back in and wrapping his arms around him.

Jo wasn't fooling himself, he would be going home to an empty flat, and what was wrong with wanting someone to cuddle? He snuggled in next to Kevin, his soft blond stubble tickling his furry chest as they dozed off.

The next morning Jo woke to the low autumn sunlight streaming through the window, Kevin's soft snores barely audible over the sound of the heating clicking in, water whirring through the radiators.

Jo got dressed quietly, not wanting to wake Kevin, he had no idea how much sleep robots needed, or if was just an affectation that was programmed into Kevin to make him seem more human.

The floorboard creaked as he slid his shoes on, and he heard Kevin stir.

"Are you forgetting something?" Kevin said, and Jo felt his heart race when he realised that he hadn't left the money, but as he got closer, Kevin's smile turned to cheeky grin. "Where's my goodbye kiss?"

Jo leant in for one last kiss, sliding the money out of his pocket and on to the floor. He left double, he'd forgotten to take money last week, and although Kevin had said nothing, Jo had felt guilty about it all week.

Hopefully Kevin would notice it there, it looked like it had fallen off the bedside table. Jo breathed a sigh of relief, the act was still in place, after all these months, the thought of handing the money directly to Kevin filled him with embarrassment.

He headed out into the early morning chill, shivering as he walked home. Without Kevin curled up next to him, the air was cold and bitter.

***

The canteen was filled with people, and there was cake, as everyone sang happy birthday to Marcus. It was strange seeing so many unfamiliar faces, but the lure of free food and an hour off work meant that a lot of people were in attendance.

It took a while for Jo to get anywhere near the birthday boy, but when he did he had the biggest smile on his face.

"Jo! I'm having a party this Saturday, you have to bring your boyfriend."

Marcus went in for a hug, and Jo whispered, "Not here. Later."

Jo felt bad when he pulled back and saw that Marcus wasn't smiling any more, but he had to tell him the truth before it all got out of hand, and work really wasn't the place for that.

"I'll see you at your place after work?" Jo said, giving Marcus a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back up to his office, working through his lunch break just so that he didn't have to focus on the fact that he was going to have to tell Marcus everything, and he had no idea how he was going to react to the idea that his best friend was 'dating' a sexbot.

*

Marcus was waiting for him, and he accepted the cup of coffee without the usual argument about it not being tea, just glad to have something to hold and focus on while he was talking. It would make this whole thing easier for him.

There was silence as Marcus waited for him to speak, and Jo sat sipping his coffee until he could bear the silence no longer.

"I'm seeing a sexbot, Kevin, and that's why you can't meet him." Jo blurted it all out, unable to meet Marcus' eyes as he waited for a response.

Marcus took a deep breath, and Jo felt his blood run cold. "A sexbot?"

"Yes." Jo drank the last of his coffee and the empty cup stared back at him. He went to make himself a cup of tea, leaving Marcus sitting on the sofa, blinking as he tried to work out how he was going to react. The fact that Marcus had said nothing at all was worrying, as Marcus was the person who always had the kind words and positive outlook in any situation.

He returned with a cup of tea, using it as his shield as he sat back down next to Marcus on the sofa.

"You could do so much better than a sexbot." Marcus shook his head, and Jo saw a flicker of disgust as he wrinkled his nose.

"You hook up with lots of people from apps, and I have this," Jo said, and he saw Marcus' nostrils flare, he was angry.

"At least I'm having sex with humans." Marcus sat his coffee down, his hands shaking as the rage took over him. "Not some disease carrying sexbot."

"They're designed not to carry diseases, their synthetic tissue is incapable of being host to STDs." Jo tried to keep his voice calm and level, but he could see Marcus wasn't happy and he didn't know what to do to fix that. He didn't know if he could fix that.

Marcus let out a deep breath, and Jo thought he was going to say sorry. "It's not healthy, dating something that's programmed to love you, that's not a real relationship."

"It's just sex, I'm under no illusions about him being exclusively mine." Jo sipped at his tea, the sugar rushing through his veins and making him feel less shaky.

"How long have you been seeing it?" Marcus asked, and Jo wondered if he'd used the word 'it' deliberately to annoy him, but he was like that not long ago, seeing robots as just fancy machines, not as beings equal to them.

"I've been seeing _Kevin_ for nearly six months."

Marcus hung his head, shaking it as Jo wondered why he was still trying to explain it to someone who clearly wasn't interesting in understanding. "I could find you someone, you wouldn't have to see a sexbot anymore."

"You don't understand." Jo put his cup down, glad that he hadn't taken his jacket off. "I shouldn't have told you."

Jo left without another word, not listening to what Marcus was saying, it was all noise. He had been telling himself for months that this was his treat, instead of dates, or drinks, or hobbies, he had Kevin.

But he'd been lying to himself, he wanted more than just sex from him, he wanted Kevin to be his and only his.

*

Jo found himself wandering through the streets aimlessly, replaying the conversation that he'd had with Marcus over and over again in his head, wishing there was a delete button on his memory.

He found himself outside Kevin's block of flats, and he wandered in, not sure why he'd come here, but it was where he wanted to be.

There was a man standing outside Kevin's flat, similar height to Kevin, short mousy brown hair and red lips that stood out against his pale skin. He looked too handsome to need a sexbot, but Jo was aware that it didn't really work that way, he knew he wasn't an unattractive guy, and yet it was just easier to have something without complications.

But he'd made it complicated.

Jo knocked on the door, and Kevin looked surprised to see him. He knew it was rude, but he just had to talk to him, clear his mind, and get all the ill feelings out.

"I've only got time for a quickie," Kevin said, leaning in for a kiss.

"It's not why I'm here, I wanted to talk." Jo slumped down on the sofa, and Kevin sat down next to him, reaching out to hold his hand and Jo felt calmer the second that their skin made contact, Kevin's thumb stroking the side as he waited for him to speak.

"What's wrong?" Kevin asked, and Jo could swear that he heard concern in his voice, he was sure that there was something more than just programming that made Kevin treat him this way.

"I told my friend that I was seeing a sexbot, and they were angry about it."

"I'm sorry." Kevin moved in for a hug, holding Jo tight as he felt the tears well up in his eyes.

"Don't be, it made me realise that I'm in love with you." Jo held his breath as he waited for Kevin to say something.

"I love you too."

Jo smiled, his heart racing as he held Kevin tighter. "And I want you to be just mine. I'll buy you."

"I'm not for sale, not like that." Kevin kissed the side of Jo's neck, and Jo braced himself for disappointment. "I like my job, I'm good at it. I'm my own person and I don't want to be owned by anyone."

"I'm sorry, I just really like having you around." Jo felt a tear run down his cheek, and Kevin kissed it away.

"Maybe we shouldn't see each other this week, give you some space," Kevin said, but Jo shook his head.

"No, you're right, I was just upset." Jo let out a deep breath, and he felt himself relax, the warmth of Kevin calming his agitated mind. "My friend, he keeps insisting that I should date someone, I should meet people, and I think he's got into my head."

"It's okay." Kevin went in for one big hug, squeezing Jo tight, and he knew that he had definitely overstayed his welcome.

"I'm sorry about this, I'll see you Saturday." Jo gave him a kiss on the cheek, scurrying towards the door.

"Saturday, but you can't just show up like this again." Kevin blew him a kiss and Jo smiled.

"I understand."

Jo wandered out into the hall, where the man was still waiting with a blush on his cheeks, he was clearly Kevin's next client, and the fact that he didn't feel any jealousy meant that he was capable of dealing with their relationship just the way it was.

So he loved a sexbot, he understood the boundaries of their relationship, and that was fine by him. This was Marcus' problem, not his.

***

The next two days at work were awkward, he caught sight of Marcus once, but he kept his head down and ducked into the lift. He wasn't even going to another floor but it was better than having to deal with Marcus at work. The last thing that he wanted was Marcus telling everyone that he was seeing a sexbot.

He spent Saturday trying to unwind, and failing, but he knew that seeing Kevin would take all of the stress away.

Jo left a little late, he didn't want to show up early after what happened, and just the sight of Kevin's block of flats made him feel a little better.

He knocked gently on the door, but when Kevin answered, his familiar smile was missing, and Jo felt his stomach twist in knots.

"What's wrong?" Jo asked, tilting Kevin's chin so that he would look up at him, but he averted his eyes. Jo could have sworn that he saw tears, but he wasn't sure what to say.

"Nothing. What do you want to do tonight, sexy?" Kevin's voice was strained, as though he was on the verge of tears, and it broke Jo's heart to hear it.

"Is this about me showing up unannounced, did I cause trouble for you?" Jo tried to get Kevin to smile, stroking at his stubble, but it didn't work.

"No, it's not you." Kevin sniffed, and Jo knew that something was really wrong.

"Tell me what's bothering you, I don't like seeing you upset." Jo wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say, but all he wanted was for Kevin to be happy again, and he was going to do his best to make that happen.

"They've introduced new legislation, all robots have to be registered to a human." Kevin put his head in his hands and started to cry, all Jo could do was hold him, stroking his back as he cried his eyes out.

"I'm sorry." Jo hadn't heard about it, although it sounded like the state wanted a way of rounding up all the robots and making them work for free.

"I work hard, I pay taxes, and they're going to take it all away from me." Kevin shook his head, looking around at his place.

"What will happen to your place?" Jo was sure that he'd found the other motivation for the government doing something like this, there was a lot of wealthy robots in London, and now all their assets would belong to the state.

"Even with the money I make, I couldn't afford to buy in this part of town. But the clients like it." Kevin slumped down on the sofa, his eyes pink with tears.

"I'll take you in, you can be mine." Jo saw Kevin flinch at the word 'mine' and he realised how awful he must sound. "Not like that, you wouldn't have to do anything in return, and you could still work if you wanted to." Jo looked at Kevin, meeting his eyes so that he would hopefully see that he was serious. "I have the space, and it would be nice to have some company, I've been living alone for too long."

Kevin buried his face against Jo's chest, and Jo held him as he cried it all out.

"Come stay with me, until it's all sorted out, okay?"

Tears were falling down Kevin's cheek, and Jo tried to wipe them away, pulling him into a hug but he was sobbing now, gasping for air. They weren't tears of joy, he was in pain and Jo had no idea why.

"It's not just me. My boyfriend, he's a bot too."

"Boyfriend?"


	4. 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101

Kevin was hanging about on the street corner looking for a friend, a sexbot known as Lightning that he used to see around when he'd also worked the streets. He'd promised Lightning that if he got himself a place, that he'd come back for him, repay him after he got him out of a bad situation.

The cool winter breeze sent a shiver down his spine and he wished that he'd worn something more than just shorts, but at least he blended in with the other sexbots. He asked around, but no-one had seen him, and he had no idea what his assigned name was, out here they all used nicknames. He used to be Angel, and although he still used it with clients, he didn't have to with friends.

Kevin checked all the side streets that they used to use, the ones that had the most things to hide behind, when he came across someone sleeping behind a broken dishwasher, no doubt thrown out when it was replaced by a robot.

"Hi." Kevin could sense that he was like him, a robot, and when he turned he could see the damage that he had sustained. "Are you okay?"

The bot flinched when he reached out, and he took a step back, crouching down so that he could see into his eyes. It was the only thing that differentiated them from humans without cutting into them, when they activated certain memory routines, lights flashed behind their eyes.

He was badly damaged, his synthetic skin missing from the left side of his face, and his metal skeleton glinted in the light.

"I'm like you, I just want to help you." Kevin held his hand out, as though he was petting an unfamiliar dog. "What's your name?"

"SV forty-seven dash MP dash W."

"Fuck." He was a military bot, and they weren't allowed to just be wandering around. "Come with me, I'll take you somewhere safe, get you patched up."

Kevin threw his hoodie around Stoffel, covering his torn clothes and he held him close as though he was just another client. The tight t-shirt and the hot pants so short that the bottom of his arse was hanging out of them advertised to the world what Kevin did for a living. But it was all that was keeping away unwanted attention, so he'd take it.

By the time Kevin got the military bot home, he just had enough time to hide him before his first client of the evening.

"Stay in here, and stay really quiet, okay?" Kevin resisted the urge to reach out and stroke the side of his face, he seemed almost unused to physical contact, and he didn't want to startle him. If he still had all his training, he was the most lethal thing that Kevin had ever come across, but now, looking at him cowering at the back of his wardrobe, he couldn't quite believe that it was true.

Six hours later, Kevin said good night to his last client, and he checked that the door was bolted shut before closing all the windows and blinds. When he was convinced that no-one could see in, he went to get the military bot from the wardrobe, and he sat him in the bathroom, finding out the repair kit that he had.

They were all designed to be self-repairing, but larger injuries took a bit of help before their own repair systems kicked in. Kevin could see the metal skeleton inside him, the entire left side of his face was missing skin, and it was going to take some drastic action to fix all that damage.

"Do you have a name?" Kevin asked, "My name is Kevin."

"Kev-in." The military bot looked thoughtful, and Kevin wondered if his processors were damaged. "We do not have names, only codes. I am SV forty-seven dash MP dash W."

The military bot looked thoughtful again, and Kevin held his breath while he waited for him to speak.

"There was a human once who was nice to me, he was called Stoffel. Is that an acceptable name?"

"It's a good name. It's nice to meet you Stoffel." Kevin put out his hand to shake and he wondered what he'd got himself into.

_You have enough problems without taking in a rogue military droid. But he just looks so helpless, and you would want someone to do the same for you._

Kevin shook his head, gently tilting Stoffel's chin as he sized up how much skin was missing, how much skin he was going to have to cut from himself.

"You're going to be okay, Stoffel, I can fix you," Kevin said, in his most reassuring voice, it was the one that he used for virgins, and it seemed to be working on Stoffel.

Kevin took out the small scalpel, laying it by the side of the bath as he took off his shoes, the soles of his feet was the bit of him that people saw least, so he could afford to lose it for a short time while it healed. Stoffel didn't flinch as Kevin cut into his skin, blood trickling from the incision. The sound of his skin tearing from his metal frame made him wrinkle his nose in disgust, but he knew that he had to stay calm for Stoffel's sake. He cut two long strips of skin a thumbs width wide from each foot before gluing them back together.

It took him a while to arrange it in a patchwork over Stoffel's damaged frame, taking out the small tube of superglue as he did his best to cover it completely with his own skin. Stoffel kept a neutral face through it all, and Kevin was glad that one of them was putting a brave face on it.

"How does that feel?" Kevin asked, moving his finger as Stoffel's eyes followed it. He wasn't sure if Stoffel's left eye would heal completely, they would just have to wait and see, although replacements were hard to come by.

"Functional." Stoffel stared at Kevin, assessing his surroundings, and Kevin wanted to ask so many questions, but he didn't want to scare him.

"When was the last time that you ate?" Kevin was glad that the solar energy nano particles in their skin helped power their processors, but it wouldn't fully regenerate their synthetic tissue without certain nutrients, and that meant food.

"Seven days ago." Stoffel was still expressionless, and Kevin couldn't figure out if he was damaged, or if he was just programmed that way.

Kevin flicked through his phone, finding the app for the pizza place and ordering dinner. He made sure that he got a good variety of foods, although Stoffel would probably be unfamiliar with it all, military bots were fed nutrient drinks. It was the most efficient way.

He reached out his hand, and Stoffel held it. Kevin looked at Stoffel's clothes, and he realised that they were all dirty. He needed to get Stoffel clean before he slept.

"I'll get you some clean clothes while you shower. Is that okay?" Kevin waited for Stoffel to nod, stripping off as he folded his torn and tattered clothes and laying them neatly on the toilet lid. He didn't bat an eyelid at being stood naked in front of a stranger, although he was a fellow bot, so that bonded them.

Kevin tried to keep his eyes off all the scars that Stoffel had, but they would heal over time, once he was fed. He also tried not to look at the eight-pack that was chiselled into him, or his perfect rear as he stepped into the bath and turned on the shower.

Stoffel pulled the curtain across so that the water wouldn't splash out, leaving Kevin staring at where he was standing.

Kevin took the clothes and put them in washing machine, finding out something that would be comfy for Stoffel. In the end he settled on jogging bottoms and baggy hoodie. They wouldn't be hard to put on over his damaged skin, and Stoffel had seemed comfortable in the hoodie he had given him earlier.

He also found a clean towel, although he wasn't sure that it was a good idea with the amount of damage to Stoffel's skin.

The water stopped, and Stoffel stepped out of the shower, water dripping off his perfect muscles. Kevin offered him the towel, and he stood still, letting Kevin pat him dry.

"Do you not feel pain?" Kevin asked, marvelling at how still Stoffel was standing, even though his skin was damaged.

"Yes, I feel pain."

Kevin felt a tear well up, and he very softly dried the rest of Stoffel, leaving the patchwork repair to his face untouched, it would be agony to try and dry it.

"I can get you different clothes, if you like." Kevin handed Stoffel the clothes, and he felt his own feet twitch as his socks chafed against the cuts. But he would heal much faster than Stoffel, it would only take a day or two.

"These are satisfactory," Stoffel said, and Kevin waited outside the bathroom for him.

Kevin led him through to the sofa, although he wasn't sure if Stoffel would appreciate being comfy, but he would.

"What happened to you?" Kevin asked, still holding Stoffel's hand, and he showed no sign of discomfort.

"I was a soldier. I kept the world safe." Stoffel paused for a second, and the blue lights behind his eyes flashed. "Then I was reassigned. But it was not a new assignment."

The blue lights stayed on, and Kevin was starting to worry that he had crashed when he spoke again. "They shot us. I was hit, but it was not critical, so I turned my power down low."

Stoffel let out an odd noise, almost a whimper, and Kevin wanted to hug him, but it would no doubt make things worse.

"When they took us all to be scrapped, I escaped. I was the only one." A tear fell down Stoffel's cheek, the first sign that he had any emotional capability.

"I'm sorry." Kevin felt his eyes well up. He had suffered so much.

"It is not your fault, you did not do this to me."

"Why did you come to London?" Kevin held Stoffel's hand a little tighter, letting his thumb stroke along the side of his hand, watching him carefully to make sure that he wasn't upsetting Stoffel, but it was hard to tell with Stoffel's limited facial expressions.

"The man who was kind to me, Stoffel, he made us. He told me that he lived in London. I thought he could fix me."

There was a knock on the door and Stoffel's eyes darted around, his eyes were wide and Kevin felt his hand grip tighter.

"It's just the food. You need to stay here for a minute." Kevin looked at him, waiting for a sign that Stoffel understood. Stoffel nodded, a mere dip of the nose, and Kevin smiled.

Kevin paid for the food, leaving the guy a reasonable tip so that he wouldn't be remembered. Average was the key to hiding in plain sight. His job wasn't exactly legal, but as long as he didn't cause trouble people looked the other way. He wasn't sure that would be the case with harbouring Stoffel.

"Do you know what food you like?" Kevin asked, trying not to sound as though he was talking to a small child.

He lay the food out on the coffee table by the sofa, letting Stoffel see it all as he went in for a slice of pizza, hoping that Stoffel would mimic him. Kevin ate the entire slice, and he thought about making 'mmm' sounds, but he wasn't sure if Stoffel would understand why he was making those noises.

"You have to eat so that your tissue can regenerate. Do you understand?"

"Understood." Stoffel held the slice of pizza, examining it before taking a bite, and he chewed it slowly.

Kevin took a chip, he didn't really fancy it, but he wanted Stoffel to see him trying a little bit of everything so that he would eat enough to heal.

Six slices of pizza, a cheese burger, a chicken burger and a portion of chips later, Kevin was full, and he hoped that Stoffel felt the same.

It was late, and Kevin knew that they should rest. He only had the one bed, although his sofa was just big enough for him to sleep on.

"Are you happy to share the bed with me? There's space for both of us," Kevin said, reaching out to hold Stoffel's hand, and Stoffel nodded.

He followed Kevin to the bed, lying next to him as Kevin draped the duvet over both of them. Stoffel reached down to take Kevin's hand, intertwining their fingers as he drifted off to sleep, and Kevin wondered how someone who had been through so many horrors, could sleep so peacefully.

***

Kevin changed a few things around so that Stoffel could stay while he had clients visiting, screening off the kitchen and dining room area so that Stoffel could sit and read quietly.

He was amazed at how well Stoffel's injuries had healed, and there was only a faint line left by the side of his nose, his left eye completely repaired and functional. Stoffel's beautiful blue eyes were stunning, and he looked so handsome, now that he was properly fed and cared for.

Stoffel never asked about Kevin's work, he seemed to just accept it, and for that Kevin was grateful. It meant that he could support them both, although now the worst of the damage was repaired Stoffel wouldn't need as much food.

The client was right on cue, and Kevin checked that Stoffel was out of sight when he answered the door.

"Hi."

"Hi." The client barged his way in, never a good sign, and Kevin braced himself for a long hour of being manhandled.

Kevin dragged his eyes over the client, short with scruffy brown hair, staring at him in a way that made Kevin feel uneasy. He'd be handsome if only there wasn't something creepy about him.

"What can I do for you?" Kevin said, fluttering his eyelashes and hoping that his breathless voice would take the edge off the client.

The client reached out to grab Kevin's arm, twisting it as he shoved him on to the bed. He yanked down Kevin's jeans and thrust in; he was a little rough, but he was quick, and Kevin was relieved when it was over.

Kevin stood so that he could pull his jeans back up, and the client took out his wallet. It was easy money for less than five minutes work.

The client's wallet was empty and Kevin was waiting for the usual story about how they would come back with the cash, which no client ever did.

"You whore, you've stolen my money." The way that the client growled made Kevin's stomach churn, and the client wrapped his hand around Kevin's throat, squeezing it tight as he stared at him, his cold brown eyes showed no sign of humanity.

"Let go of me." Kevin kept his voice calm, he didn't need to breathe, it was just one of the things that he did to appear more human, so he didn't have to worry about that. But he could still feel the pain.

Stoffel wrapped his arm around the client's neck, dragging him away as he choked. "Leave, and never come back."

Kevin opened the door as Stoffel threw him out, slamming the door behind him. There was screaming and banging, but then someone yelled that they'd called the police and it all went quiet. Round here there was no chance that they'd actually called the police, but at least it got rid of the client.

"Thank you," Kevin said, rushing in for a hug, and he gave Stoffel a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you okay?" Stoffel ran his fingers over Kevin's bruised throat, it would heal with food, but the purple welts that were appearing looked sore.

"I'll be fine, it comes with the job," Kevin said, and he watched Stoffel frown, his hand still resting on Kevin's shoulder.

_Here it comes, the lecture that I should do something else, even though this is what I was created to do, what I'm good at._

"I have calculated that if you moved to a better area of town, you would have a more affluent clientele. You could charge more so it would cover the higher cost of rent, and give you a better profit margin."

Kevin smiled, and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. He'd thought he was lucky to get off the streets, get a place, but it didn't stop clients like that showing up.

"That sounds like a really good idea." Kevin smiled, and he pulled Stoffel back into the hug, kissing at the side of his neck as he thought about what it would be like to have regular clients, rather than just randoms that showed up when they felt like it.

*

It took Kevin less than twenty-four hours to find a new place, the fact that he could pay the deposit up front, and in cash, meant that he'd had his pick of flats, and he was now living in a nicer neighbourhood. The owner clearly knew what he did, although he didn't say a word about it.

Kevin owned so few things that moving hadn't been difficult, but they'd waited until the evening so that they were less likely to be seen.

"Do you like it?" Kevin asked, waving his hands around the small studio flat.

"It is functional."

"That it is," Kevin said, laughing as he wondered what he expected Stoffel to say, "And there's a basement storage area, which is big enough for you to stay in while I see clients."

"Thank you."

Stoffel set up Kevin's easel, it was one of the few things he had that wasn't work, although having Stoffel around meant that he had much more of a balance between his work and his life.

Kevin got a shower and Stoffel jumped in after him while they waited for food to arrive. He glanced in the mirror at his bruises, and he made sure that he wrapped a towel around his neck when he went to get the door, his dressing gown wasn't designed for covering up.

They ate in silence, both glancing at each other as they smiled, happy to have their own space in the world. The sofa was comfy, and Kevin sat admiring his new place, it was far more than he could ever have imagined when he was first created. When his original owner had died, he'd ended up on the streets, nowhere to go and nothing to call his own.

"Thank you, if it wasn't for you I'd never have thought of doing this." Kevin went in for a hug, holding Stoffel tight as he kissed at the side of his neck, and Stoffel let out a little gasp.

"Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?" Kevin asked, pulling back so that he could see Stoffel, he had a blush on his cheeks and Kevin stroked his thumb over it, feeling the heat. Stoffel still had his towel wrapped around him and even with the hoodie on top of it Kevin could see the goose bumps appearing on his legs.

"No. I have never had anyone touch me without it being for repair or maintenance. It feels pleasurable."

Kevin smiled, he'd enjoyed having Stoffel around, he hadn't realised how much he missed the company of someone who wasn't expecting anything from him. Stoffel was so easy to be around, straightforward and honest, and Kevin felt his heart race every time Stoffel was near. Just the thought of him brought a smile to his face.

He leant in for a kiss, running his fingers through Stoffel's short hair as he took in the taste of his lips, the hint of pizza from earlier, their celebratory treat.

The kiss was chaste, and Kevin pulled back to see that Stoffel was smiling, the blush still on his cheeks as he stared at Kevin. It was the most beautiful sight in the world, Stoffel's bright blue eyes looking at him with love and affection.

Kevin went back in for another kiss, his tongue teasing at Stoffel's lips until it was allowed entry, licking up the gasps and moans as Kevin deepened the kiss, his hands finding their way inside Stoffel's hoodie, stroking at his perfect abs.

He stroked his thumb over Stoffel's nipples, feeling them harden under his touch as he let out a little gasp.

"Feel good?" Kevin whispered as he nuzzled at the side of Stoffel's neck, his hands still exploring every inch of Stoffel's soft skin.

"I can see why you like sex so much, it feels very nice." Stoffel smiled, his hair ruffled, and his lips moist.

"This isn't sex, it's just the warm up." Kevin grinned, biting at his lip as he wondered why Stoffel didn't know that, he seemed very knowledgeable on many things. "Isn't it programmed into you?"

"I have been programmed to be able to drive and fly various types of vehicles and aircraft, and I have the knowledge to repair them. I have hand to hand combat and proficiency with a multitude of weapons programmed into my memory. I was a good soldier. There was no need for me to be programmed to know about sex."

Kevin held Stoffel's hand, he felt him flinch when he said that he was a soldier. It was the first time that he'd accepted that he wasn't a soldier any more.

"Do you want to feel how good sex can be?" Kevin whispered, leaning in so that he could unzip Stoffel's hoodie, trailing kisses over his perfect body as he felt his cock harden under his touch.

"Yes." Stoffel let his towel hang open, Kevin's dressing gown had already proved no match for his hard cock, and he admired the work that had gone into Stoffel. There was no need for him to have a nice thick cock, or be able to get hard, and yet there it was, a glorious sight for Kevin to behold.

Kevin straddled Stoffel, letting their cocks touch as he went in for another kiss, it was relief not having to worry about if it was perfect, all he had to do was make sure that Stoffel was enjoying himself, and from the way that he responded, he was definitely enjoying it.

Breathless gasps filled the room and Kevin shuffled down so that he could wrap his lips around Stoffel's cock, his hand reaching up to play with his nipples as he sucked away, using his talented tongue to trace the veins, making Stoffel writhe and moan in pleasure.

He waited until Stoffel was on the very brink of orgasm, pulling off and grinning at the sight of Stoffel with his eyes scrunched shut and his lips parted, his hands grasping at the sofa as he let out a whine.

"You are so beautiful," Kevin said, dragging his eyes over Stoffel as he slicked up his cock with his own pre-come.

Stoffel spread his legs wide, making room for Kevin as he lined up with him, feeling the warmth of his quivering hole.

"Do you want this?" Kevin went in for one last kiss as Stoffel nodded, arching his back as he pulled Kevin closer, his eyes locked on Kevin's and Kevin thrust in slowly. Memorising every noise he made as Stoffel lay gasping on the sofa, his eyes wide as he gripped at Kevin's shoulders.

Stoffel relaxed around him and Kevin bottomed out, stroking the side of Stoffel's face as he gave him a moment to adjust.

"Feel good?" Kevin brushed an eyelash off Stoffel's cheek, gasping as he felt Stoffel clench around him, testing out his limits.

"Very pleasurable."

Kevin smiled down at Stoffel, moving slowly as he changed the angle, making sure that he was hitting the right spot with each thrust. Stoffel's muscles were rippling, his breathing erratic as he wrapped his legs around Kevin's waist, drawing their bodies closer as they settled into a nice rhythm.

"You feel amazing." Kevin felt his climax building, he could have waited but he didn't want to. He reached down to stroke Stoffel's cock, feeling his muscles flutter around him as his body writhed. Stoffel looked so beautiful with all his guards down, his hand covering his face, tears welling up in his eyes as he came.

Kevin slumped down over him, holding Stoffel tight as tears ran down his cheeks, he had never felt anything like it. He was overwhelmed by it all, and Kevin said something that he'd never said before, it wasn't something he could say if he didn't mean it, but he could feel that it was true. "I love you."

Stoffel smiled, he had never understood the idea of love, but now, wrapped up in Kevin's arms, feeling safe and loved, he knew that he felt the same. "I love you too."

Kevin laughed, neither of them were programmed to love, and yet here they were, both hopelessly in love.

*

The next day Kevin woke up smiling, still cuddled into Stoffel and he nuzzled against him, admiring his smile.

They ate cold pizza for breakfast, before spending the day in bed. Stoffel was a quick learner, unsurprising considering what he was designed for.

Lying wrapped up in Stoffel's arms, Kevin wanted to stay here forever, but he could only do that if he started working as quickly as possible.

"How are you going to get new clients?" Stoffel asked, and Kevin rolled over so that he could look at him, but there was no trace of jealousy or disgust.

"A friend put a few flyers in an advertising bot, and I've put up some ads in the usual places."

Stoffel nodded as Kevin kissed the end of his nose, smiling as he rested his forehead against Stoffel's, staring into his eyes.

"Now I just need to wait for someone to call." Kevin let out a little laugh, he was sure that he'd have no problem finding new clients. His skills were always in demand.

Kevin didn't have to wait long, his first message simply said - Are you free tonight?

_Does 9 p.m. work for you?_

Sure.

_See you then sexy xxx_


	5. 01110000 01110101 01110010 01100101

Jo held Kevin as he cried, telling him about his boyfriend had made the tears flow again, and Jo wished that there was some way he could take all of Kevin's problems away.

"I love him so much, but if they find him they'll destroy him." Kevin sniffed, and Jo tried to wipe the tears away with his thumb, but both his cheeks were stained with tears.

"Come stay with me, both of you, I'll work something out." Jo held Kevin's hand, hoping that his words had reassured him.

Kevin shook his head, he looked so uncertain but Jo knew that he couldn't leave him like this.

"I meant it when I said that I loved you. I'd do anything to keep you safe, and see you happy, even if that means not being with you." Jo stared at Kevin, hoping that he could see he was sincere.

"Thank you." Tears fell down Kevin's cheek and he wrapped himself around Jo, whispering his thanks as the tears fell.

"Pack your things, and we'll figure this all out tomorrow." Jo watched as Kevin nodded, his beautiful blue eyes red, and he looked so vulnerable.

It didn't take long for Kevin to pack, everything he owned fitted in a couple of rucksacks, and he folded up his easel, the canvas still covered with a sheet.

Kevin saw the way Jo was looking at him. "You thought it was just for show, right?"

"Sorry, I completely underestimated you."

"I underestimated you too, I thought you would only want me if I was useful to you, but I was wrong, you're a good guy."

"I'm not a good guy, I'm just lonely." Jo compressed his lips, that was the cold hard truth, and it was better that it was out in the open.

There was a knock on the door and Jo froze, worried that it was the police coming for Kevin and his boyfriend.

Kevin peered through the little hole in the door, and when he opened it a familiar face stepped in. It was the guy that Jo had seen waiting outside a few nights ago, he hadn't been a client, he was his boyfriend.

Stoffel looked worried, his eyes darting around until they settled on Jo, and he felt like Stoffel was trying to weigh up if he was a threat or not.

"This is Jo, he's going to take us in while we sort out this mess." Kevin held Stoffel's hand, and he visibly relaxed. "We can't stay here since the landlord knows what I am."

Kevin shook his head, there was going to be a reward for turning in unregistered bots, and he knew that he couldn't trust a human. Jo was the only one, and he hoped that he really could trust him.

There was silence in the car on the way to Jo's flat, he had no idea what to say. 'I'm sorry' just didn't cut it when Kevin's entire life was being ruined, and they would destroy Stoffel just because he had outlived his usefulness.

He showed them to the spare room, it was a reasonable size for the two of them.

"There's clean towels in the bathroom, and you can help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge."

"Thank you." Kevin stood on his tiptoes to give Jo a goodnight kiss, his soft lips so familiar, but Jo felt strange with Stoffel standing there.

"I promise I'll find a way to protect you both."

*

Stoffel looked around the room, Kevin hadn't seen him like this since he'd first found him, but it wasn't a surprise that Stoffel was wary around humans.

"We're going to be safe here," Kevin said, stroking the side of his face as he saw the worry lines fade. "I love you."

"I love you too." Stoffel smiled for the first time in days, and Kevin felt calmer, at least he'd made one person happy today.

"You should get some sleep." Kevin gave him a kiss on the forehead, leaving him to rest as he went to help Jo find a solution to his problem.

*

Jo was sipping at his cup of tea, trying to make sense of all the new legislation, when Kevin wandered through.

"Stoffel's asleep." Kevin sat down on the sofa next to Jo, shaking his head when he saw what was on the screen. He couldn't believe that his whole life was going to be ruined just because hate against bots was politically useful.

"Is he okay?" Jo asked, and Kevin nodded. Stoffel was going to need a bit of time to adjust, he didn't trust easily, but Kevin was sure that they could make this work.

"What are we going to do?" Kevin said, and Jo could hear the pain in his voice.

"For you, it's easy, I just register as being your 'owner' and that's it." Jo sipped at his tea, trying to work out how to sugar coat the next bit, and when he couldn't figure out a tactful way to phrase it, he blurted out, "Stoffel can't just be registered, they'll check his ID, and see that he's meant to be deactivated."

"There has to be a way." Kevin rubbed at his eyes, they were still pink, and he looked so tired.

Jo reached out to hold Kevin's hand and Kevin leant in for a kiss, but Jo stopped him. "I… I don't think we should do this anymore. You have Stoffel and it just doesn't feel right."

"The other night, when you came round, I meant it when I said I loved you." Kevin looked into Jo's eyes, he didn't have to flutter his eyelashes, or use any of his other tricks. He wasn't trying to make Jo believe him, but he wasn't sure if he had convinced Jo that he was telling the truth.

"You don't have to play games with me to get me to help you," Jo said, and Kevin looked down at his lap.

"It's not a game. Telling clients that they're 'the best I've ever had' or that they have a huge dick when it's four inches long, that's my programming. But I'm not programmed to love, just to fuck."

Jo laughed, Kevin had never said anything like that to him, although he wouldn't have believed it anyway, he was awkward and he knew it.

"You are the only client I've ever had who treated me like I was an actual person, not just an object to be used." Kevin held Jo's other hand, stroking the side of it with his thumb. "You and Stoffel are the only people I've ever said 'I love you' to, and I mean it."

"I love you too." Jo shook his head, he couldn't deal with this all now. "But it is all going to have to wait until I can find a way to keep Stoffel safe."

Kevin nodded, that had to be their first priority. The legislation was coming in soon, and hiding Stoffel was only a temporary solution.

"You should get some sleep," Kevin said, giving Jo a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm not tired," Jo said, stifling a yawn as he rubbed at his eyes. Jo saw Stoffel standing by the bedroom door, peeking out at them, and he nodded over to him. "Go keep Stoffel company."

"Night." Kevin headed to the bedroom, and Jo put the kettle on, he was going to need something stronger than tea. He made himself a coffee, preparing himself for a long night.

The sun peeked over the horizon, and Jo closed his laptop in defeat, he didn't understand enough of the technical things to be fiddling around inside Stoffel. But he knew someone who might be able to help.

*

Jo pressed call and his heart raced as he waited for Marcus to answer. It clicked over to his voicemail, but he didn't want to leave this in a message, he didn't want to get anyone else in to trouble over it.

He went to bed, hoping to get some sleep when his phone buzzed, Marcus was calling and he grabbed the phone.

"Hi, I'm sorry about what I said, I just worry about you."

"I forgive you," Jo said, it seemed so long ago, such a trivial thing to be arguing about. "I need a favour. You're good friends with Dany, the robotech, right?"

"Yes." Marcus sounded confused, and Jo wondered if he could trust Marcus with this, but he had no-one else to turn to.

"Can he be trusted?"

"Why?"

Jo told him everything, and Marcus listened, he was back to being his friend, which was a relief. Apart from his family, Jo didn't really have anyone else.

"I'll speak to Dany, try and work out if he can be trusted with this, and if he can, I'll send him over."

"Thank you. And happy birthday."

Marcus laughed, and the tension was broken. Now Jo just had to wait, and that was the worst part.

*

There was a knock on the door and Jo got Kevin and Stoffel to hide in the bathroom, locking the door behind them. He wasn't sure he was cut out for this life, but he knew that he was in too deep to just walk away now.

Dany was standing there, he looked younger in jeans and a hoodie, his thick glasses obscuring his bright green eyes. He had a rucksack slung over his shoulder, and he was glancing around as though he was being watched.

"Can I come in?"

Jo stood back, letting Dany into the flat as they stood awkwardly, both staring at each other.

"Marcus told me you needed a new ID for a bot, no questions asked." Dany's eyes darted across to Kevin when a floorboard creaked. "Is this the bot? He's high end."

"No," Kevin said, "I was a rich man's toy, and then when he died, I just went my own way."

Stoffel crept out of the bedroom, standing behind Kevin as Dany raised his eyebrows. "You have a military bot? Where did you get him?"

"I found him on the streets, he escaped before they could destroy him."

"Woah." Dany held his hands up, and Jo felt his blood run cold as Stoffel started looking for the exits. "I can do it, but it's going to take a while."

Dany paused and Jo was sure that there was something that Dany wasn't telling them.

"How are you with blood?" Dany asked, and Jo felt dizzy, his face so white that he was paler than Dany.

"I'll manage," Jo said, taking a deep breath as he steadied himself. "What do you need?"

"I've got everything here," Dany said, patting his rucksack, which clinked with the sound of metallic objects. "Can I use your table?"

"Sure." Jo had a sinking feeling in his stomach, but if this meant that he could keep Stoffel safe, then he could get through it.

Watching Dany set up only added to the feeling of unease, and now that Stoffel was lying out on the table, Jo dreaded what was coming next.

Dany opened a small box, and he took out a scalpel. Jo rushed through to the bathroom, kneeling in front the toilet as he threw up a night's worth of coffee, retching until his stomach was empty and he could see white spots floating in front of his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kevin was standing outside the door, and Jo knew that he had to pull himself together.

"Just give me a minute." Jo flushed the toilet, feeling ill just at the sight of it all, and he wondered if he'd ever drink coffee again.

He wandered back through to the living room, where Stoffel was lying on the table topless, and Kevin handed him a glass of water.

"I'm going to have to replace his current ID chip, and then make sure that his software is updated to match it."

"Where's the ID chip?" Jo asked, his eyes pleading with Dany to tell him that it was somewhere easy to reach.

"For military bots all the hardware is around the spine, it's less likely to get damaged if it's in the torso." Dany looked impressed, and Jo felt his blood run cold.

"It's okay, he can turn his pain receptors off." Dany looked at Stoffel, and he looked indifferent to the fact that Dany was hovering over his back with a scalpel.

"You can turn them off?" Jo breathed a sigh of relief.

The way the Stoffel hesitated told Jo that he was lying, and Dany shook his head. "They were designed to be as a human as possible, so the enemy wouldn't know that they were robots, and that means they have to feel pain."

A single tear ran down his cheek, and Jo was sure that nothing else could shock him, but then Dany started to cut into Stoffel, blood welling up around the incision. Jo couldn't look away as Dany cut along the length of his back, Stoffel gripping at the table as Kevin whispered to him.

"I need someone to help me, someone who won't throw up inside him." Dany pushed his glasses up on his nose with the side of his hand, and just the sight of the blood on his hands had Jo feeling dizzy again.

"I'll do it," Kevin said, standing up from where he was crouched down by Stoffel. "Jo, would you come and hold Stoffel's hand?"

Jo knelt down on the floor by Stoffel, choosing a spot where he couldn't see what was happening on the table. He looked Stoffel in the eyes, and he wasn't sure who was comforting who. Stoffel was stroking his thumb along the side of Jo's hand, the way that Kevin did when he held his hand.

"I'm going to do this as quickly as possible, okay?" Dany said, and Jo peeked up to see Dany gripping a corner of Stoffel's skin, preparing to peel it back.

Jo pressed his forehead against Stoffel's, holding his hand tight. Stoffel's nails were digging in and Jo could hear the sickening sound of skin being torn from the flesh.

"You're doing really well," Dany said, and Stoffel took a deep breath, relaxing his grip on Jo's hand. "Jo, can you hand me that soldering iron?"

Jo felt the bile rise in his throat, and Stoffel gripped his hand tight, making Jo look at him. "If we don't do this, they will take me apart for scrap, and I will feel the agony of it all until they finally take out my processors." Stoffel had tears in his eyes, and Jo reached out for the soldering iron, bracing himself for the smell of burning flesh.

"It's going to be okay," Stoffel said, and Jo smiled as the tears fell down his face.

"I'm meant to be telling you that."

Stoffel laughed, and Jo found himself laughing hysterically at the absurdity of it all.

Dany used the time to switch out the ID chip, Stoffel flinching as Jo held him tight, whispering to him that it was all going to be fine, when he had no idea how it would turn out.

Jo thought that Dany was done, but then he took out his laptop, connecting it to Stoffel with tiny crocodile clips, and the way that Dany was sitting with his feet up said that it was going to take a while.

"I have to change every instance of his ID in all of his software. Also, I'm going to have to wipe any of the military records, if he's found with them still installed, the fact that his ID says that he's a sexbot won't save him."

"I'm going to make everyone a cup of tea," Kevin said, and Jo laughed. Stoffel winced as he thought about laughing and decided against it, the clips were pressing against his lungs and every breath hurt.

Dany typed away as Kevin joined Jo on the floor, both of them trying to distract Stoffel while Dany worked.

"This is going to be our future, you know," Dany said, to no-one in particular, "One day they're going to be able to download everything in here and upload it to a synthetic copy of ourselves. Make us immortal."

Jo laughed again. "You would not need a big hard drive for what I have in here," Jo said, pointing at his head, as Kevin laughed at him. It even got him a small smile from Stoffel, although the longer he lay out, the weaker he looked.

"All the synthetic organs and tissue are self-repairing and disease free, and they have a superior skeleton." Dany peered over, and he looked impressed at what he could see inside Stoffel, but Jo felt his stomach churn just from the thought of it.

Stoffel's eyes drooped shut, and Jo looked at Dany. "I have to reboot his software, and then check that the IDs match and all the military files are gone. It's going to be another hour."

"I'm going to go out and get food," Kevin said, giving Stoffel a kiss on the cheek.

"Sushi," Dany said, "It's best for healing."

"Sushi sounds good," Kevin said, grabbing his wallet and shoes. "Where's good round here?"

"There's a place on the corner, go left out of the main door." Jo stroked the side of Stoffel's face and his eyes twitched.

"I love you." Kevin smiled as he slipped out of the front door, making sure it was shut and locked before heading off.

Dany raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and Jo just shrugged, there were no words to explain how he'd ended up here. They sat in silence until Dany disconnected the leads, and poked at a button on his spine.

"SV forty-seven dash MP dash W," Dany said, and Stoffel's eyes flew open. Jo stared at him, checking for some sign that he remembered where he was.

"Stoffel? How do you feel?" Jo wished that Kevin was here, Stoffel would have been more comfortable with him around, but he could see Kevin's phone charging on the coffee table, so there was no way of contacting him.

"Am I fixed?" Stoffel released Jo's hand, frowning as he saw the crescent shaped cuts where his nails had dug in. He kissed at the red marks, and Jo felt at ease, the terror of the afternoon wearing off now that he could see that Stoffel wasn't too badly affected by it all.

"It's nearly over, you're doing really well," Dany said, and he reeled off a lot of questions, checking off a list on his laptop.

"Is that it done?" Jo asked, looking up at Dany as he took out a tube of superglue.

"Yes, but this is going to sting a bit." Dany set to gluing Stoffel's skin back together, and Stoffel clung on to Jo's hand, his eyes screwed shut as he tried not to scream. The sight of it had tears running down Jo's cheeks, and he held his breath until it was over.

"It's going to take a couple of days to heal, make sure he's well fed, and rests while he's healing." Dany waved a small handheld thing over Stoffel's spine, and it beeped when it picked up the ID chip.

"It's okay, I've done this before," Stoffel said, and Jo felt a pain in his heart. Jo knew the story but every time he thought of it he felt sadness wash over him.

"I'll take good care of you," Jo said, looking Stoffel in the eyes, and he smiled.

Dany went to wash his hands before packing up his tools, and Jo winced when he saw the scalpel being put away.

"Let me pay you for this." Jo went to take his wallet out of his pocket.

"No way," Dany said, holding his hands up, "I was just here for a coffee to plan Marcus' birthday surprise."

"In that case, would you do me one more favour?" Jo asked, and Dany rolled his eyes. "I've got tickets for the ice hockey tonight, I was going to take Marcus for his birthday, but I should stay and take care of Stoffel. Would you take Marcus to it?"

Jo found out the tickets and Dany nodded when he saw how good they were. He'd bought them ages ago, but then everything else had happened, and he was sure that Marcus would understand.

"Thank you," Dany said, waving the tickets as he left, leaving Jo staring at Stoffel, still lying out on the table, which couldn't be comfy.

"Let me help you to bed," Jo said, holding Stoffel's hand tight as he stepped down from the table. He walked slowly, and Jo arranged the pillows so that Stoffel could lie on his front and still eat without too much difficulty.

"Thank you for saving me," Stoffel said, as he held Jo's hand. Jo was humbled by it all, and he didn't know what to say, words seemed inadequate to express his feelings.

The front door opened, and Jo peeked out the bedroom door to check that it was Kevin. With all the sneaking around, he was still on edge, and the lack of sleep wasn't helping.

Kevin was carrying shopping bags, and Jo wondered if he had found the takeaway place, but then he saw the familiar brown paper bag that they put their food in.

"How is he?" Kevin asked, his brow furrowed as his big blue eyes stared at Jo.

"Resting, he's going to be fine." Jo held his arms out, and Kevin sat all the bags down before rushing over for a hug. Kevin's soft hair tickled at his nose, and Jo felt the exhaustion of the day catching up with him.

"I'm just going to sleep." Jo yawned, and Kevin stood back, looking at Jo with concern in his eyes.

"No, you need food first, I haven't seen you eat in nearly twenty-four hours." Kevin was using a tone of voice that Jo had never heard before, it was a tone of voice that said he would be obeyed, and Jo nodded, too tired to argue with him. "I'll feed you if I have to," Kevin said, his cheeky smile shining out, and Jo found himself smiling, ducking down for a kiss before carrying the food through to Stoffel, leaving the groceries to be put away later.

Kevin fed Stoffel little pieces of sushi until he was satisfied that he'd eaten enough, and he watched Jo eat with a look that said he'd do the same for him if he didn't eat.

"I should go sleep," Jo said, but Stoffel wouldn't let go of his hand.

"Stay." Stoffel had a small smile on his face, and Jo couldn't say no, the thought of curling up next to him and Kevin was exactly what he needed.

He made sure Stoffel was comfy before stripping off to his boxers and snuggling back in next to him, resting his hand on his arm, it was one of the few bits of Stoffel that wasn't sore.

Jo drifted off as Kevin watched over them both, a smile on his face that wasn't his usual cheeky grin. He looked content with his life, and he was glad that he'd been given a second chance so that he could enjoy it all.


	6. 01100100 01101111 01101110 01100101

The next morning Jo woke up to sunlight streaming through the window. He looked over at Stoffel, the cuts on his back now a thick pink scar, and he reached out to stroke his hair, checking that he was conscious. Stoffel fidgeted in his sleep, his hand twitching as he hugged the pillow.

Jo's phone buzzed, and he rolled over to see who it was. Marcus had sent him a picture of him and Dany clearly tipsy in a bar, arms round each other, with the caption – Thank you for the birthday gift!

He slipped out of bed, walking carefully as he headed for the shower, at least he'd got up before his alarm. Kevin had his arm draped over Stoffel's bum, and they made a beautiful couple.

Jo left them a note, saying that they should stay home and rest, and to send him a message if they wanted anything bringing back.

He thought about giving them a kiss goodbye, but it was all so new, so he headed to work, making sure he had all the paperwork to sort out one last thing.

*

The queue to register Kevin and Stoffel as 'his' was long, and by the time he got to the front of it he was sure that he was going to be late for work. But he'd feel a lot better knowing this was done.

"Next."

Jo handed over the documents as the middle aged man behind the counter studied them intently. He felt his heart race, and even though he told himself it was just routine he couldn't help but feel like someone was going to jump out and arrest him at any moment.

"Two sexbots?" The man raised an eyebrow, pushing a strand of his thinning grey hair behind his ear.

"I like variety." Jo was trying for nonchalant, but he'd take arrogant if it meant that he got to leave here without being taken out in handcuffs.

"Why haven't you registered them before now?"

Jo leant in, and the man did the same. "It's not something I really want to advertise."

"Each to their own." The man typed everything in, and he stamped both the forms before handing them back to Jo.

Jo smiled, he was sure it looked forced, but it would have to do, it was the closest he was getting to relaxed while he was here.

"That's them all registered. You should get a confirmation e-mail later today."

"Thank you." Jo scurried off as the man called 'next' and he rushed to get to work, his heart still pounding as he got in the lift to head up to his office.

*

He was only fifteen minutes late, and he'd make sure that he was seen staying late to make up for it. By the time lunch rolled around he was sure that he looked like a zombie, even though he'd had eight hours sleep last night, it didn't make up for the forty-four hours straight that he'd been awake before that.

Marcus came rushing over to where Jo was sipping his third coffee of the day, his taste buds now numb to its bitter edge.

"Guess who got the promotion?" Marcus' smile was shining out, and Jo felt his mood brighten.

"You got the promotion? I'm so happy for you." Jo stood to give Marcus a hug, swaying on his feet as he held him tight.

"Thank you." Marcus took a seat, glancing around so that he could attract the attention of the robot who had the coffee. "And thank you for sending me Dany."

Marcus' grin said it all, and Jo was happy that some good had come of this mess. "You don't mind that I couldn't make it?"

"No, I understand, family has to come first." Marcus raised an eyebrow, and Jo wondered what Dany had told him, but that would have to wait for another time, they couldn't talk about it here. "You'd have hated the ice hockey anyway." Marcus laughed, and he stopped just in time to thank the robot as he handed him a cup of coffee.

"You and Dany should come round for dinner some time, maybe this weekend?" Jo knew that he'd be forever in Dany's debt, and since him and Marcus seemed to have more than just a casual thing going on, he should really try and get to know him better.

***

A couple of days passed, and Jo had gone back to sleeping in his own bed, alone. He'd also not found the time to talk to Kevin about what he'd said, ask him if he really meant it when he said that he loved him.

He was getting ready to leave work for the day when an unknown number called, and he thought about ignoring it, but curiosity got the better of him.

"Mr Jolyon Palmer?" The tone of voice said this wasn't going to be a happy call.

"Yes, who is this?" Jo felt his heart rate pick up, and his stomach twisted into a knot, it seemed to be his normal state of affairs lately.

"Officer Lynn, we picked up your bot for solicitation."

"What?" Jo was wondering if it was a joke, but the officer's voice said otherwise.

"KM twenty dash RS dash E? Caught by an undercover police officer."

Jo felt his blood run cold and he took down the details of the station where Kevin was being held. He was sure that he looked wind swept and frantic by the time that he got down there. Even though he hadn't actually run, he'd walked at such a speed that several people had ended up dodging out of his way rather than risk being knocked over by him.

The police station sent a shiver down Jo's spine, the white walls and the stale smell reminded him of hospitals. There was a tall man behind the desk, and Jo saw the name badge – Lynn.

"Hi, Officer Lynn? You called about my bot?"

"Yes." Officer Lynn stepped out from behind the desk, motioning for Jo to follow him and he moved quickly, trying to keep up with the officer.

He led Jo to a row of metal lockers, each one just big enough for a person, or a robot. The lock clicked open, and Kevin was standing there, his face unimpressed and when he saw Jo, there was a flicker of a smile before his face returned to neutral.

They both knew the roles that they were going to have to play, until Stoffel healed fully, they had to make sure that no-one was asking too many questions.

Jo rolled his eyes as he tutted. "I'm going to have to get him wiped."

"You should just buy yourself a new one, get yourself an upgrade." Officer Lynn laughed and Jo laughed along with him, his heart breaking as he saw Kevin's face.

"This one was my first one." Jo shook his head. "I'm sentimental like that."

"You'll have enough to start a collection soon." Officer Lynn nudged Jo, and he laughed some more, his blood running cold as he wondered how much information the police had about his bots.

"I think two's enough, especially if they're going to misbehave." Jo shrugged, in a 'what do you expect from bots' kind of way.

"More trouble than they're worth."

"Beats messing around on those dating apps." Jo laughed as he brushed Kevin's hair back into place.

"Follow." Jo felt his stomach twist, he didn't want to give Kevin orders, but it was the easiest way to keep up the rouse.

"Yes, master." Kevin's eyes were wide and unblinking, he looked so robotic, and it sent chills down Jo's spine.

Jo had to sign a lot of paperwork, and pay a fine. But the worst was yet to come.

"If he does it again, he'll be deactivated." Officer Lynn looked at Kevin, and he blinked once, tilting his head slightly as he looked over at Jo.

"Understood, officer." Jo signed one last thing. "Maybe I should get that upgrade after all." He laughed as he left the station, Kevin following behind him like a well-trained puppy.

They walked home like that, Kevin following as Jo ignored him, treated him like just another possession. It was torture, but they had no idea who was watching them.

*

"Jo, I'm really sorry." Kevin rushed in for a hug, now that they were back at the flat he could drop the dumb little sexbot act and talk to him.

"What were you doing picking up clients on the street?" Jo held Kevin tight, his arms wrapped around him as he stroked his back.

"I just wanted to do something, I was bored just sitting around the flat." Kevin let out a little sob, and Jo ducked down to wipe his tears away.

"We'll figure out something, but you can't risk being caught again." Jo rested his forehead against Kevin's, he wanted to show him that he was serious. "If they catch you, they'll deactivate you and there's nothing that I'll be able to do about it." There were tears running down his face, and Kevin buried his head against Jo's shoulder.

"What's happened?" Stoffel asked, and they both froze, there was no way that they could lie to him, not with all the tears.

"I'm going to get a cup of tea, and then we all need to talk." Jo gave Kevin a kiss on the forehead, and Stoffel rushed in hug Kevin, kissing away his tears as he led him to the sofa.

He found out the biscuits, not technically necessary for any of them, but they could all do with some comfort food. At least he had a cup of tea in his hands to keep them occupied, he was always fidgety when he was nervous.

Jo took the tray through, the teapot keeping warm under its cosy, and the biscuits neatly arranged on a plate. Arranging it all neatly had helped calm him, but when he saw the tears falling down Kevin's cheeks he felt the tension rising.

"Kevin showed me what happened," Stoffel said, his arms wrapped around Kevin. "You said you would get him wiped?" Stoffel's eyes were wide with fear, and Jo saw that he was shielding Kevin from him.

"I said it so the police would just assume that he was a sexbot who'd gone a little wild. I didn't want them to come here and find you." Jo's hand was trembling and he couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose either of them. "I know Dany changed your ID chip, but he recognised you as a military bot just by looking at you, and I don't know who else can do that."

"I'm sorry." Kevin sat up, patting the end of the sofa for Jo to come and sit next to him. Jo sat down, opening his arms so that Kevin could cuddle in. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"I know, it's not your fault they're clamping down on all these things." Jo kissed at Kevin's neck. "I love you and I just want to keep you safe. Which means no more clients."

"I love you too. I won't do it again." Kevin went in for a kiss, straddling Jo as he ran his fingers through his hair, nipping at his lips as he let out a little gasp.

Jo caught a glimpse of Stoffel and he broke the kiss, feeling guilty. He wasn't sure what Stoffel knew, and it wasn't really his place to tell him.

"We need to talk about something else," Kevin said, and Jo nodded, letting Kevin get comfy on the sofa. "Why won't you share a bed with us?"

Jo's brow furrowed, his head tilted in confusion and he tried to think if he'd actually asked if they wanted to share a bed with him. "I was giving you and Stoffel space."

"I know this last week has been a lot to take in, but I want a relationship with you, and Stoffel." Kevin looked at them both, reaching out to hold their hands. "And I want to sleep in the same bed as both of you." Kevin pouted, giggling as he did it, breaking the tension.

"I want that too…" Jo paused, glancing at Stoffel as he felt a blush creep on to his cheeks.

"But?" Kevin's bright blue eyes were staring at him and Jo felt like he was under a spotlight.

"But only if Stoffel is comfortable with it." Jo couldn't look at Stoffel, they didn't really know each other, but Jo wanted to change that.

"I like having the two of you next to me, I feel safe." Stoffel reached out to take Jo's hand, and Jo relaxed. "Also, if Kevin can't see clients, we're going to have to meet his needs," Stoffel said, his face completely neutral.

"Really?" Jo's eyes went wide, staring at Kevin who had an angelic grin on his face.

"Joke." Stoffel smiled, and Kevin let out a manic laugh, erasing all of Jo's worries about Stoffel. He'd been so quiet, so eager to please, that Jo was concerned he would just go along with whatever Kevin wanted. But now that he was settling in, Jo could see his personality coming through, that he wasn't just a soldier who followed orders. Not anymore.

"Sushi for dinner?" Jo asked, and they both nodded, Stoffel following him to the kitchen so that he could help prepare it.

Kevin watched them both make dinner, smile on his face, but it didn't hide the disappointment that he felt. He had liked his job, but now, he couldn't do it, and he didn't know what to do with himself.

That night the three of them curled up in Jo's bed, neither Kevin nor Stoffel had unpacked, but now all their things were stowed away in Jo's room, their room.

Kevin watched as Stoffel and Jo slept in each other's arms, he cuddled in next to him, but he couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty, and he lay awake, staring at the ceiling until the sun came up.


	7. 01100100 01100001 01110111 01101110

Jo got home Friday night to a quiet flat, and he headed through to the bedroom to see Stoffel watching a film, but no Kevin.

"Please tell me Kevin's here." Jo felt his heart rate rise, he couldn't cope with the thought of Kevin being deactivated.

"He's gone shopping to get food for Dany and Marcus coming over."

"Thank god." Jo slipped off his shoes and sat down on the bed next to Stoffel.

"You don't believe in god?" Stoffel looked at him in confusion, and Jo smiled.

"No." Jo shook his head, he'd never thought about how strange it sounded.

"Then why do you say it?" Stoffel blinked, and Jo reached out to stroke the side of the face.

"Just habit." Jo smiled, he leant in to give Stoffel a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to get a shower."

The sound of the water falling over him didn't completely block out Stoffel doing something in the kitchen, and Jo emerged from the shower to find Stoffel waiting for him with a cup of tea. He sat down on the bed, his dressing gown wrapped around him, and sipped at his tea as Stoffel watched him.

"Thank you." Jo watched Stoffel's eyes flick down to his lips, and he felt the tension in the air.

"Do you want to watch a film?" Stoffel asked, and Jo nodded, shuffling closer as Stoffel hit play on the remote.

Stoffel reached out to hold Jo's hand, intertwining their fingers, and it felt nice. Stoffel's leg brushed against his, and Jo could feel the tension building. Neither of them were watching the film, they were too busy glancing at each other, blushing when they caught each other's gaze.

Jo finished his tea, setting his cup down, before turning to face Stoffel.

"I like you," Stoffel said, reaching out to run his fingers over Jo's lips.

"I like you too." Jo smiled, looking down at his lap as Stoffel went in for a kiss. His lips were soft, and there was a hint of something salty, left over sushi.

Jo ran his fingers through Stoffel's short hair, pausing before letting his hands stroke the curve of his back, his skin now completely healed, and Jo rested his hands at the top of his perfect rear. His tongue teased at Stoffel's lips, waiting for permission to enter, and he let out a little gasp as Stoffel moved to straddle him, their lips still locked.

Stoffel had been naked in bed and Jo's dressing gown was struggling to stay closed over his hard cock. He let out a moan and Stoffel's tongue licked up every gasp and moan, deepening the kiss as he angled himself so that his cock rubbed against Jo's.

"I want you." Stoffel was breathless, and his limps were plump and moist, his skin red where Jo's stubble had brushed against it. Jo ran his fingers over it and Stoffel grinned, pushing Jo back on to the bed as he trailed kisses down his body.

Stoffel knew how to tease, and Jo was sure that he'd learnt from the best. He licked along the lines of Jo's muscles, his hands roaming lower to spread his legs wide as he placed soft kisses to Jo's cock, nuzzling against it as he reached off the bed to get the lube.

Jo pressed his head back against the pillow, his eyes scrunched shut as the sound of Stoffel slicking up his fingers and cock had him twitching in anticipation. Stoffel's fingers were teasing at his hole, two fingers sliding in as Jo gripped at the sheets, moaning in pleasure as Stoffel hit that spot, leaving him on the brink of orgasm.

Stoffel lined up, his hand stroking the side of Jo's face as he waited for him to look at him. Jo opened his eyes, Stoffel's glorious body towering over him as his warm cock pressed against his hole.

"I want you." Jo groaned, arching his back as Stoffel thrust in, he was thicker than Kevin, and he stretched him nicely, bottoming out as the sound of the front door opening echoed around the flat.

"I'm home," Kevin said, and Jo froze, holding his breath as he felt every inch of Stoffel inside him.

"We're in the bedroom," Stoffel called out, and Kevin came bounding through, grin on his face when he saw what Stoffel and Jo were up to.

"Room for one more?" Kevin said, dragging his eyes over them, Stoffel's perfect arse quivering as he tried to hold still.

Stoffel looked at Jo, and Jo nodded, his heart pounding as he took a deep breath, adjusting to Stoffel as he relaxed.

"Always." Stoffel bit his lip, and Jo blushed, burying his head against Stoffel's shoulder.

"I have to put ice cream in the freezer, but then I will be right back." Kevin disappeared, the sound of things being put away and then the rustle of clothes sent Jo's mind into overdrive.

"How big do you want me?" Kevin asked, and Jo's mouth hung open.

"You can change the size of it?" Jo couldn't help but wriggle as Stoffel thrust gently, rocking his hips as they waited for Kevin.

"Yes," Kevin said, laughing as he wandered round so that Jo could see him. "See?" Kevin's cock stretched out, growing in front of Jo's eyes, and he couldn't believe the size of it. "Ten inches long and seven inches round." Kevin stared at Jo. "You like it?"

"Wow."

Jo watched as it shrunk down to a less eye-watering size, and Kevin slicked himself up, getting into position behind Stoffel as he kissed the side of his neck, reaching an arm around him as he stroked the side of Jo's leg, enjoying every gasp as his eyes fell shut.

Stoffel and Kevin moved as one, thrusting into Jo as he gripped Stoffel's shoulders, forcing himself to keep his eyes open so that he could see Stoffel fall apart under Kevin's touch. His mouth was hanging open and he licked at his lips as he got closer to his release.

Kevin reached down to stroke Jo's cock, grin on his face as he kissed at Stoffel's neck. Jo threw his head back as he came, shuddering in orgasm as he heard Stoffel and Kevin reach their own noisy climaxes. He lay gasping on the bed, Stoffel's body pressed against him as he held him tight.

"Feel good?" Kevin asked, and even though Jo couldn't see him, he could hear the grin on his face.

Jo could only let out a little gasp in agreement, words failed him as his body twitched with the aftershocks, surrounded by Kevin and Stoffel.

"I love you," Stoffel said, whispering it into Jo's ear, but Jo didn't respond, unsure if he was talking to him or Kevin.

"I love you too." Kevin smiled at Jo, stroking his hair back off his forehead as he withdrew from Stoffel, making him gasp at the loss. Jo braced himself for the same feeling as Stoffel slithered out of him, his half hard cock was still filling him nicely and his muscles twitched as he felt Stoffel move off him.

"You don't have to say it back," Stoffel whispered, and Jo's eyes went wide. Jo cared about Stoffel, and it was more than just a desire to make Kevin happy by looking after him, although that was what motivated him to help Stoffel in the first place.

In just a week, he'd watched Stoffel go from this shy person who hid behind Kevin when he was in new surroundings, to a guy who was happy joking around with him. It was too soon to say that he loved Stoffel, but he definitely cared a lot about him, and just seeing him happy and sated made him feel like he was on top of the world.

***

Stoffel stayed in the bedroom as Jo went to get the door. Marcus and Dany were making out on the doorstep, and Jo felt proud every time he saw how happy Marcus was. He was glad that everything had worked out for them, and he hadn't once heard Marcus say 'I'll see how things go' which meant that Marcus was already in it for the long run.

"Hi, how are you guys?" Jo said, as Marcus led Dany into the flat, holding his hand as they smiled at each other.

Jo showed them to the sofa, Kevin already sitting there, and Stoffel appeared with a tray full of drinks shortly after. Stoffel gave Dany a hug, his unspoken thanks for all that Dany had done for him. Dany told him about work, and Marcus told Jo all about his promotion, and how much it had annoyed Felipe.

"I've got those things you asked for," Dany said, rushing over to get his bag and taking out two brown boxes, both about the size of a coffee mug, and Dany sat them down on the table as Jo smiled.

"What are they?" Kevin asked, reaching out to pick them up.

"They're for you." Jo nodded at Kevin, smile on his face as he waited for Kevin to open them. Kevin looked confused and Dany explained.

"It's an HD webcam," Dany said, placing the boxes on the table, "And a few upgrades so that you can use Jo's computer as a server." Dany glanced at Kevin and he was staring at Jo, waiting for an explanation.

"I thought you could do your work online, it's not illegal that way." Jo fidgeted with his hands, he'd thought it was a great idea, a way of letting Kevin do what he loved without risk of being caught and deactivated, but now, seeing Kevin staring at it with confusion written all over his face, he wasn't sure.

"I love it." Kevin leapt across to where Jo was sitting, covering him in kisses. "Thank you."

"I should go start dinner if we want to eat today," Jo said, and Stoffel followed him to the kitchen, leaving Kevin to entertain Marcus and Dany.

Jo put the oven on, and found out the vegetables, when he noticed that Stoffel was just standing there.

"What's wrong?"  

"I don't think I can do what Kevin does," Stoffel said, glancing down at his hands. His brow was furrowed and Jo rushed over to hug him.

"You don't have to." Jo kissed him on the cheek, feeling him relax as he held him tight. "I just needed to make sure Kevin wouldn't be tempted to go looking for clients again. I couldn't bear to lose him."

Stoffel nodded, and Jo stepped back so he could look him in the eyes. "I love you, and all I want is for you to be safe and happy."

"I love you too." Stoffel smiled, and Jo felt warm and fuzzy inside. Everything was falling into place.

*

Jo had no idea that everyone was listening to him and Stoffel talk, and Kevin knew that he would have to distract Dany and Marcus.

"Can you help me set all this up?" Kevin asked, he knew Dany would it do it, he'd seen how Dany loved all things technical.

Marcus smiled as Kevin led Dany to the spare room, Dany looked so happy to be able to tinker with it all, checking that it was all set up right.

Jo looked in to the spare room, Kevin had a big grin on his face as he lay back on the bed, checking his image on the screen.

"Looking good," Jo said, and Kevin blew him a kiss.

Marcus gave Jo a smile, and Jo felt glad that he'd managed to save his friendship with him, he didn't want to end up in a situation where he had to choose between his friends and his boyfriends.

The rest of the afternoon was easy, Dany showed Stoffel how to maintain a website, and Stoffel seemed to understand it all instinctively, even without his military programs he was still gifted at many things.

*

"That wasn't too bad," Jo said, sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea in hand. The dishes could wait for later, or tomorrow.

"Marcus and Dany heard what you said to Stoffel," Kevin said, cuddling in to Jo as Stoffel sat down next to them.

Jo nodded, Marcus seemed accepting of their relationship, even if he wasn't thrilled about it. "I don't mind who knows about us." Jo leant in for a kiss, and Kevin's soft lips were perfect pressed against his own.

Kevin turned so that he could kiss Stoffel, his breathless moans getting louder as he pressed their bodies together. He broke the kiss and he had the cheekiest grin on his face. "Who wants to test out the new webcam?"

Stoffel pulled off his shirt, his muscles rippling as he stared at them both with a grin on his face. Jo picked up Kevin, carrying him to the bed bridal style as Stoffel stripped off the rest of his clothes, giving them a wonderful view of his bum as he walked through to the bed.

Jo gave Kevin a kiss before setting him down, Stoffel watching from the bed as they undressed each other. It was a rush to slowly reveal all of Kevin's perfect skin, kissing each inch of him as the clothes piled up on the floor until they were both naked.

Stoffel was on his hands and knees, waiting for them to finish with a smile on his face. He reached out to hold Jo's hand, leading him round so that he could position himself in front of Stoffel's face, and Kevin knelt behind Stoffel.

Jo watched in fascination as Kevin adjusted his cock, the head shrinking as he worked out the right size before slicking himself up with his pre-come. Kevin kissed his way down Stoffel's back as Jo stroked his hair, and every ripple of Stoffel's muscles sent sparks of lust through his veins. Jo's cock twitched as Stoffel's warm breath ghosted over it and he let out a little whimper, sparking Kevin into action.

Kevin thrust in and Jo stroked the side of Stoffel's face, comforting him as he adjusted to the stretch. Stoffel arched his back, letting out a groan as he licked his lips, wrapping them around Jo's cock.

Jo stroked at Stoffel's hair, the sound of him sucking greedily, his talented tongue teasing at the tip as Jo looked up, Kevin's grin stretched over his face as he slammed into Stoffel, holding his hips tight, praising him with his breathless voice.

"You both look so gorgeous," Kevin said, reaching down to stroke Stoffel's cock as he moaned around Jo, the vibrations were all it took to push him over the edge. Jo came with a gasp, Stoffel swallowing it all down as he let out a groan, his body shuddering as Kevin slumped down over him with a smile on his face.

Kevin slid out of Stoffel, making him shudder and Jo held him tight, arranging him so that they could sleep comfortably.

Jo lay gasping, cuddled in under Stoffel's arm as he stroked the side of Kevin's face. They were both the picture of happiness.

"This is all I want, forever."

*****

"We're here to collect the body of Jolyon Palmer," Kevin said. Stoffel was standing next to him, holding his hand tight as the receptionist pressed a few things on the touch screen.

"I'm Anna. If you could follow me."

Kevin and Stoffel followed Anna down the hall, the sound of their heels clicking against the floor echoed around and made it sound ominous.

They were led to a small room, barely big enough for the three of them and the gurney that had a body bag on it. Anna unzipped the bag just enough that they could see Jo's face, and Kevin nodded as he held Stoffel tight, letting him bury his head against his shoulder.

Kevin wheeled the gurney out to the car, before realising that their small car probably wasn't the best for transporting a body.

"We could put him in the boot?" Stoffel said, pulling a funny face as he realised how strange it sounded.

"He should fit across the backseat?" Kevin picked up Jo's body, laying him in the back seat as he pushed his legs in. Stoffel shut the door quickly, wincing when he felt it hit against Jo's feet.

Kevin drove, and they pulled up outside a small block of flats, parking outside as Stoffel rushed round to get Jo's body out of the car. He slung Jo over his shoulder, whispering that he was sorry as they headed into the block.

They went up to the second floor, and Dany was waiting for them with a smile on his face. He ushered them into the flat, where Marcus was sitting on the sofa. It was a jarring sight, Dany still looked like he was in his early twenties, but Marcus' once blond hair was now white, his pale blue eyes cloudy as his wrinkled skin moved into a smile.

"Leave him on the table," Dany said, as Kevin rushed over to give Marcus a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek as the sound of a body falling onto the floor startled them both.

"Sorry," Stoffel said, and Dany helped him get Jo's body on to his table.

"Let me see him." Marcus slowly stood up, using his walker for support as Kevin helped him over to a seat at the table. "He looks so young," Marcus said, brushing a stray curl off Jo's forehead.

"This is how he looked when I first met him," Kevin said, staring at Jo, his blue eyes staring back at him.

"Do you have the disk?" Dany asked, and Stoffel handed over a small square of clear plastic, about the size of a credit card. "It's going to take a while, I can call you when I'm done."

"We'll wait," Stoffel said, holding Jo's hand as he lay him face down on the table, Dany removing the body bag from around him. There was a square of plastic over Jo's back, and Dany peeled it off, removing a small square of synthetic skin.

Stoffel stroked the side of Jo's hand, even though he wasn't conscious yet. A small alarm beeped and Dany tapped at his wrist, holding his finger up as he went through to the kitchen, returning with a glass of water and two small yellow pills.

Dany sat down next to Marcus, holding his hand as he gave him a kiss on the cheek. Marcus put the pills in his mouth, and Dany helped him bring the glass of water up to his lips, brushing a strand of hair out of his face as he looked at him with a smile on his face.

"I love you," Dany whispered, as Marcus smiled, the glass of water shaking in his hand and Dany sat it down on the table next to Jo.

"I love you too." Marcus looked at Jo's body as he shook his head. "I can't wait until I'm young and handsome again." Marcus' laugh turned into a cough, and Dany held him tight.

"You're still handsome to me." Dany smiled, kissing him on the lips, their foreheads resting together as all their love shone out.

Marcus yawned, and Dany helped him to bed, smile on his face as he wished him sweet dreams.

"I never wanted to die young," Dany said, talking to himself more than anything, "I wanted to grow old with Marcus, but fate had other plans."

Stoffel reached out to rest his hand on Dany's shoulder, and Dany put the disk into Jo's back, pressing a button on the spine as a blue light flashed behind Jo's eyes.

"It's funny how it all works out." Dany hooked up his tablet to Jo, making himself comfy as he waited for everything to load.

Stoffel held Jo's hand for the three hours that it took to load all his memories, and Kevin rushed round to sit with him as Dany sealed up Jo's back, it would heal quickly once he was fed.

Kevin smiled as he stared into Jo's eyes. "Welcome back."

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
